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“No YOU won’t, A'Tr. Loup, for my mother will kill you first” 


‘Twilight <uinimal Series 


BUSTER 
THE BIG BROWN 
BEAR 


By 

GEORGE ETHELBERT WALSH 

Author of *^Bumper the White Rabbit^' ^^Bumper the White Rabbit in 
Woods** Bumper the White Rabbit and His Foes,** Bumper the 
White Rabbit and His Friends^* ^^Bobby Gray Squirrelf* 

** Bobby Gray Squirrel* s Adventures^* Etc, 


Colored Illustrations by 

EDWIN JOHN PRITTIE 



THE JOHN C. WINSTON COMPANY 
CHICAGO PHILADELPHIA TORONTO 


TWILIGHT ANIMAL SERIES 
FOR BOYS AND GIRLS 



FROM 4 TO 10 YEARS OF AGE 


Toj 


By 

GEORGE ETHELBERT WALSH 


ino. 


LIST OF TITLES 


1 BUMPER THE WHITE RABBIT 

2 BUMPER THE WHITE RABBIT IN THE WOODS 

3 BUMPER THE WHITE RABBIT AND HIS FOES 

4 BUMPER THE WHITE RABBIT AND HIS FRIENDS 

5 BOBBY GRAY SQUIRREL 

6 BOBBY GRAY SQUIRREL’S ADVENTURES 

7 BUSTER THE BIG BROWN BEAR 

8 BUSTER THE BIG BROWN BEAR’S ADVENTURES 

9 WHITE TAIL THE DEER 

10 WHITE TAIL THE DEER’S ADVENTURES 

11 WASHER, THE RACCOON 

(Other titles in preparation) 

Issued in uniform style with this volume 
PRICE 65 CENTS EACH, Postpaid 

EACH VOLUME CONTAINS COLORED ILLUSTRATIONS 


Copyright 1922 by 

THE JOHN C. WINSTON COMPANY 


Copyright MCMXVII by George E. Walsh 


SEP 19 ’23 

©CU711963 


INTRODUCTION TO THE 
TWILIGHT ANIMAL STORIES 
By the Author 

All little boys and girls who love animals 
should become acquainted with Bumper the 
white rabbit, with Bobby Gray Squirrel, 
with Buster the bear, and with White Tail 
the deer, for they are all a jolly lot, brave and 
fearless in danger, and so lovable that you 
won’t lay down any one of the books without 
saying wistfully, almost wish I had them 
really and truly as friends and not just story- 
book acquaintances.” That, of course, is a 
splendid^wish; but none of us could afford to 
have a big menagerie of wild animals, and 
that’s just what you would have to do if you 
went outside of the books. Bumper had many 
friends,such as Mr. Blind Rabbit, Fuzzy Wuzz 
and Goggle Eyes, his country cousins; and 
Bobby Gray Squirrel had his near cousins. 
Stripe the chipmunk and Webb the flying 
squirrel; while Buster and White Tail were 
favored with an endless number of friends and 
relatives. If we turned them all loose from the 
books, and put them in a ten-acre lot — but 


INTRODUCTION 


nOp ten acres wouldn't be big enough to 
accommodate them, perhaps not a hundred 
acres. 

So we will leave them just where they are 
— in the books — and read about them, and 
let our imaginations take us to them where we 
can see them playing, skipping, singing, and 
sometimes fighting, and if we read very care- 
fully, and think as we go along, we may come 
to know them even better than if we went out 
hunting for them. 

Another thing we should remember. By 
leaving them in the books, hundreds and 
thousands of other boys and girls can enjoy 
them, too, sharing with us the pleasures of 
the imagination, which after all is one of the 
greatest things in the world. In gathering 
them together in a real menagerie, we would be 
selfish both to Bumper, Bobby, Buster, White 
Tail and their friends as well as to thousands 
of other little readers who could not share 
them with us. So these books of Twilight 
Animal Stories are dedicated to all little boys 
and girls who love wild animals. All others 
are forbidden to read them! They wouldn't 
understand them if they did. 

So come out into the woods with me, and 
let us listen and watch, and I promise you it 
will be worth while. 


CONTENTS 


Story page 

I When Buster Was a Cub 9 

II Buster and Loup 15 

III How Buster Got Out of the River-- 23 

IV Buster is Carried Away by the Men_ 31 

V How Buster Was Stolen 39 

VI Buster’s Cruel Masters 47 

VII Buster Makes His Escape 55 

VIII Buster’s First Public Appearance 63 

IX Buster Saves Chiquita 71 

X Buster Becomes a Trick Bear 79 

XI Buster In a Railroad Wreck 87 

XII Buster Meets the Little Girl Ag^in- 95 

XIII Buster and the Little Girl 103 

XIV Buster Tries to Escape and Is Dis- 

covered III 

XV Buster is to be Sent to the Zoo 119 

XVI Buster Returns to the North Woods 125 



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A i 


BUSTER THE BIG BROWN 
BEAR 

STORY I 

When Buster Was a Cub 

In the North Woods where Buster was 
born, a wide river tinkles merrily over stones 
that are so white you’d mistake them for snow- 
balls, if you were not careful, and begin pelt- 
ing each other with them. The birches hang- 
ing over the water look like white sticks of 
peppermint candy, except in the spring of the 
year when they blossom out in green leaves, 
and then they make you think of fairyland 
where everything is painted the colors of the 
rainbow. 

The rocks that slope up from the bank of 
the river are dented and broken as if some 
giant in the past had smashed them with his 
hammer, cracking some and punching deep 
holes in others. It was in one of these holes, 
or caves, that Buster was born. 

He didn’t mind the hard rocky floor of his 
bed a bit, nor did he mind the darkness, nor 
the cold winds that swept through the open 
doorway. He was so well protected by his 

9 


10 


Buster the Bear 


thick, furry coat that he didn’t need a soft 
bed on which to take his nap. A big stone 
made a nice pillow for his head, and he rather 
liked the hard floor for a bed when he curled 
up to go to sleep. 

Buster was an only child. He didn’t know 
what a brother or sister was like, and so he 
didn’t miss either. He had his mother, who 
was good enough for him, and when he was 
old enough to crawl out on the rocks in front 
of his home he would spend hours and hours 
there playing with her in the bright sun-shine. 

Sometimes Mother Bear had to leave him 
while she went off in the woods to get some- 
thing to eat. At such times she made Buster 
stay in the cave. 

“You mustn’t show yourself on the rock, 
Buster,” she cautioned, “until you hear me call 
you. I won’t be gone long.” 

Buster was a dutiful little cub, and he ac- 
cepted his mother’s commands without asking 
why or wherefore. Perhaps that was because 
he was too young to understand, or because 
his mother was very strict with her only child. 
When he was very young, so young that he 
could hardly see at all, his mother used to tell 
him what to do and then gently but firmly 
make him do it, using her big hairy paws to 
enforce obedience. 


When Buster Was a Cub 11 

These early lessons were never forgotten, 
and Buster got in the habit of minding his 
mother just as naturally as a tree grows 
straight when trained upright to a stake. But 
Buster grew curious as he got older, and one 
day when his mother was going away he 
asked: ‘^Why can’t I play in front until you 
come back?” 

^‘Because,” replied Mother Bear, “Loup 
the Lynx might come along and eat you up.” 

“Who is Loup the Lynx?” asked Buster, 
turning very pale, for he had a wholesome 
dread of being eaten up. 

“Never mind, dear. You stay inside until 
I come back.” 

That was a mighty argument of Mother 
Bear’s to make her child obey. He was so 
afraid of Loup the Lynx that he never dared 
to poke his nose out of the cave when his 
mother was away. And sometimes the temp- 
tation to do it was very strong, for as he grew 
bigger and stronger the sunshine had a great 
fascination for him. Nothing in the world 
seemed pleasanter than to roll around on the 
rocks outside, blinking at the warm sun, and 
smelling the odors of the sweet flowers. It 
was springtime then, and the woods were full 
of the song of birds and the drone of busy 


12 Buster the Bear 

insects. It made one wish to be outdoors all 
the time. 

“You must be careful today, Buster,’’ his 
mother said to him one morning, “and stay 
inside the cave. I heard Loup the Lynx 
hunting around here last night. I don’t like 
him. He’s a rough, brutal fellow, and nearly 
always up to some mischief. I hate to leave 
you a minute today. But I must.” 

Buster kept his promise, and remained 
inside all the morning, playing with his tail 
and the few leaves the wind blew in the cave. 
Toward noon, however, he got tired of this, 
and also very hungry. When a bear is hungry, 
he becomes very bold and will do things that 
would never occur to him at other times. 

Buster sniffed in all the corners of the cave 
for a bite of something good to eat, but there 
was nothing more digestible than rocks and 
stones. Then he crept nearer the entrance, 
venturing a little closer every moment 

A streak of sunlight played on the rocks 
in front of him, and it so fascinated him that 
he began trying to catch it with his little paws. 
He had it, then lost it, and then sprang for it 
again. But the sunlight danced around, and 
never stayed caught 

In the midst of this game of tag with the 
sunlight, Buster heard a noise outside. It 


When Buster Was a Cub 13 

sounded like some animal scuffing heavily 
over the rocks, and the little fellow was so 
sure it was his mother that he ran out to greet 
her. 

But what a surprise met him! Instead of 
Mother Bear there stood Loup the Lynx, 
crouching and sniffing, with his long tail 
swishing back and forth making a noise like 
a nutmeg grater. 

Buster had never seen Loup the Lynx be- 
fore, but nobody had to tell him now. He 
recognized him instantly. His first thought 
was to run back in the dark cave. Loup had 
a great dread of being caught in the cave by 
Mother Bear. If he had to fight with a full 
grown bear he preferred to be out in the open 
where he could spring in a tree if knocked 
over by a big paw. So he resorted to cunning 
to induce Buster to come out further. 

‘^Don’t be afraid, Buster,” he said pleas- 
antly. *‘I’m not going to hurt you. Your 
mother was delayed in the woods, and she sent 
me here to watch the mouth of the cave so no 
harm would come to you.” 

Buster was surprised at this information, 
and he stopped to look at Loup. He didn’t 
like his face, but if his mother sent him it 
must be all right. 


14 


Buster the Bear 


“I was watching you playing with that sun- 
beam,” Loup continued, lying down with his 
two paws in front of him. ‘‘I used to do that 
when I was young, but I’m too old now. I 
can’t jump around as I used to. Now let me 
see if you can catch the sun-beam.” 

Buster was less afraid than ever, and he 
wanted to show Loup how spry he was. ‘‘I 
can catch it if I want to,” he said boastfully. 

“I don’t believe you can. Now let’s see 
you do it. If you do I’ll tell your mother 
when she returns what a spry youngster you 
are.” 

Buster, swelling with pride and ambition, 
made a dart for the flickering sun-beam. At 
the same time Loup leaped into the air, and 
landed right at the mouth of the cave, with 
Buster on the outside. He was cut off from 
retreat, and Loup leered so cruelly at him 
that a spasm of fear ran down his spine. He 
wished now that he hadn’t disobeyed his 
mother, but it was too late, and he set up a 
little cry of terror. 

What Loup the Lynx did to him, and how 
Buster escaped to plunge into more adven- 
tures, will be told in the next story. 


STORY II 


Buster and Loup 

It was a dreadful position for a little roily 
polly bear to be in, with Loup the Lynx facing 
him, and his mother away in the woods where 
she couldn’t hear his cries. Loup was so sure 
of his prize that he let him squeal and cry for 
some time. It rather amused him. 

‘What a little howling brat you are!” Loup 
said finally. “Stop that squealing or I’ll 
make you.” 

Buster was as much frightened by the tone 
of the voice as by the words, and almost in- 
stantly stopped calling for his mother. He 
was a very young bear — a mere cub — and 
you could not blame him for crying for help. 
Besides he had never been outside of the cave 
alone before, and right down in his heart he 
knew that his disobedience of his mother’s 
commands had got him into trouble. 

“I’ll stop,” he said, “if you’ll please move 
away from that doorway and let me go inside. 
Mother told me not to come out of the cave 
when she was away.” 


15 


16 


Buster the Bear 


‘‘Oh, she didP’ sneered Loup. ‘TThen 
you’ve been a bad, wicked cub, and you de- 
serve to be punished. I think I’ll teach you 
a lesson.” 

“Please don’t, Mr. Loup,” pleaded Buster, 
who much preferred to be punished by his 
mother than this wicked looking animal. 
“One punishment will be enough, and I know 
mother will attend to that.” 

Loup laughed and swished his short tail as 
if he wished it were longer so he might use it 
as a whip to punish Buster with. 

“No, I’ll punish you too,” he added. “You 
deserve it. Do you know how I punish cubs 
that disobey their mothers ?” 

Buster didn’t know, and wasn’t particularly 
anxious to find out. His one desire was to 
get back of Loup and escape in the cave where 
he might be able to hide until his mother re- 
turned. If he could only get Loup away 
from the front of the cave, he might run in it. 

“Well, I’ll tell you,” Loup added. “I take 
them by the scruff of the neck, and shake them 
until they haven’t breath enough to squeal.” 

He grabbed a stone in his jaws and shook 
it back and forth just to show how he would 
do it. The sight made Buster feel faint. 

“And then,” went on Loup, “I give them 
a pat on the back with my paw like this.” 


17 


Buster and Loup 

Loup raised a paw and brought it down on 
the rock so hard that it made Buster jump 
a foot in the air. The blow was so powerful 
that it seemed for a moment as if it would 
crack the rocks. Loup laughed joyfully at 
Buster’s fright. 

“Now that I’ve shown you what I intend to 
do with you,” Loup continued, “you’ll be pre- 
pared. Well, I’m coming now to punish 
you.” 

Buster backed away to the edge of the rock. 

“And when I’ve cuffed your ears, and 
shaken out your teeth,” Loup threatened, “I’m 
going to eat you. Oh, yes, a young cub makes 
delicious eating. I’ll fill my stomach with 
you.” 

For the first time Buster showed a little 
spirit of defiance. Standing up on his two 
hind legs, he said, wagging his head : “No you 
won’t, Mr. Loup, for my mother will kill you 
first. She’s bigger than you, and she can 
strike harder than you. My, when she brings 
her big paw down it makes the rocks shake! 
If you touch me she’ll strike you on the head, 
and knock you in the river.” 

“Huh!” snorted Loup angrily. The fact 
was he was afraid of Mother Bear, but he 
didn’t want Buster to know it, and he tried to 
make him think so by boasting. “If your 


18 


Buster the Bear 


mother should come near me, I’d knock her 
over. I could do it easily.” 

Perhaps Buster wasn’t convinced by this 
boastful talk, or may be he heard something 
in the bushes that sounded like his mother’s 
familiar footsteps. At any rate, he turned 
suddenly, and clapped his paws. 

“Now let me see you do it, Mr. Loup!” he 
cried. “Here comes mother! She won’t let 
you hurt me!” 

The way Loup jumped and growled showed 
that his courage wasn’t so very great after all. 
He had no desire to meet Mother Bear, and 
the thought he had lost a delicious dinner by 
talking so long to Buster made him hungry. 
For a moment he hesitated. If he jumped 
on Buster and ran away with him, Mother 
Bear would be on his tracks immediately, and 
if he stayed he would be cornered in the cave. 
He decided to take the safest course. 

“Well, if your mother’s coming, Buster,” 
he said in a changed voice, “it won’t be neces- 
sary for me to stay here with you any longer. 
You might tell her I kept guard over the cave 
while she was away.” 

Buster was so surprised by these words that 
he turned to look at the Lynx. Loup smiled 
at him, and added: “Of course, you know 
this was all a joke. I didn’t intend to hurt 


Buster and Loup 


19 


you. I love little bear cubs. That’s why I 
came here to protect you. We’ll always be 
great friends, and when you grow up I’ll show 
you the ways of the woods.” 

Buster in his innocence believed these soft 
words, and his feelings toward Loup took a 
sudden change. He wasn’t wise enough to 
follow up his advantage and let Loup go. In- 
stead he said: 

‘‘Don’t go yet, Mr. Loup. I’m not sure 
mother is coming after all. The noise in the 
bushes was just a bird scratching for worms.” 

Loup raised his ugly head and glanced 
around him. His ears Were cocked up so that 
he could catch the faintest sound in the dis- 
tance. Then a smile of satisfaction spread 
over his face. Turning to Buster he let out 
a roar that sounded like distant thunder 
rumbling in the sky. It made Buster jump 
nearly two feet in the air. 

“So you were trying to deceive me!” he 
growled. “You lied to me! You said your 
mother was coming when she wasn’t. Then 
for that I’ll kill you and eat you up!” 

Buster started to protest. “No, no, Mr. 
Loup, I didn’t lie to you,” he stammered. 

But he couldn’t get any further. Loup had 
crouched for a spring. Buster saw his big, 
dark body coming through the air at him, and 


20 


Buster the Bear 


very naturally he ran away crying with fright. 
Loup seeing that he had missed him in his 
spring struck viciously with one paw, and just 
grazed Buster’s head. It was only a graze, 
but it drew blood, and made Buster whimper 
with pain. 

There was one thing Buster wanted, and 
that was to get safely inside the cave, and the 
moment Loup sprang in the air he started for 
it. But Loup was a quick, powerful dodger, 
and before the cub could reach the entrance 
the Lynx had taken another long jump and 
landed directly in front of him. 

Buster, to escape him, wheeled so suddenly 
that he rolled all over in a heap. The rock 
sloped down toward the water, and the cub 
rolled down it so fast that Loup was unable to 
catch him. It was the only thing that saved 
Buster’s life. 

He had never been in the river, and he didn’t 
know whether he could swim or not, but he 
much preferred the water to Loup’s dripping 
jaws. So instead of trying to check his rolling 
he kicked out to make himself go faster. 

Loup reached him just as he got at the edge 
of the rocks, and with one paw tried to crush 
his head and body; but again he missed him, 
and merely cut a deep gash in Buster’s 
shoulder. The next moment the cub splashed 


Buster and Loup 


21 


into the river, and went down, down, down 
until it seemed to him there was no bottom. 

In the next story you will hear of how 
Buster was rescued from the river. 













STORY III 


How Buster Got Out of the River 

Buster had never been in water over his 
head before, and you can imagine his feelings 
when it got in his eyes, mouth, ears and nose. 
He coughed and kicked, and made a great 
splutter, but after all it was more fright than 
real danger. He was such a fat little cub 
that he couldn’t sink to the bottom, and stay 
there. 

Just when he thought his end had surely 
come, he bobbed up on the surface, and his 
head came out of the water. What a wonder- 
ful thing it was to inhale pure fresh air again! 
Buster had never realized how good it was 
until then ! Of course he had always breathed 
all the air he wanted, and so having enough 
he didn’t know what it meant to be without it 
for even a few seconds. That’s the way with 
a lot of things we have in this world. 

Buster inhaled the air in great gulps, filling 
his lungs until they swelled up like balloons, 
and then to his horror he felt himself sinking. 
The mere thought of going down in the water 

23 


24 


Buster the Bear 


again terrified him. He let out a squeal of 
fear, and began splashing with all four paws. 

That was the best thing he could do, for a 
bear can swim without any lessons if he must 
do it to save his life. But it was a laughable 
sight to Loup the Lynx watching from the 
shore. Buster’s swimming was clumsy and 
awkward. 

“Ha ! Ha !” laughed Loup gleefully. “Wag 
your tail, Buster, and maybe that will help 
you I Don’t sneeze now, or you’ll swallow all 
the water in the river. That’s right, keep go- 
ing around in a circle.” 

It was cruel of Loup to poke fun at him, and 
Buster thought so too, but he was so occupied 
in trying to keep his head above the surface 
he didn’t have time to answer. 

“Come toward the shore, Buster, and I’ll 
help you,” Loup called finally, running down 
to the edge, and wading knee-deep in the river. 

This was the first kindly offer of the Lynx, 
and once more Buster began to think Loup 
was not so wicked after all, but when he had 
made his way a few feet toward the shore he 
stopped. Why was Loup so anxious to save 
him? Of course, there was only one expla- 
nation to it. He wanted to eat him up. 

Buster turned suddenly and splashed away 
from the bank. Much as he dreaded death 


How Buster Got Out of the River 25 

by drowning, he preferred it to being eaten 
up by Loup. 

‘‘This way, Buster! This way!” called 
Loup, thinking that the cub had got turned 
around and didn’t know which way he was 
swimming. 

Buster made no reply. He saw the opposite 
shore ahead. It was a long distance away, 
but he was going to swim for it. He began 
splashing harder than ever. 

“I tell you to swim this way!” added Loup, 
growing suspicious and angry. 

Buster continued to head in the opposite 
direction. 

“If you don’t come this way,” angrily cried 
Loup, “I’ll come after you, and hold your 
head under the water until you’re dead.” 

Buster more frightened than ever paddled 
desperately, and he was really making pretty 
good time. He was beginning to learn how 
to swim. The opposite bank was growing 
nearer every moment. To his surprise he 
found that his strength was not leaving him, 
and he could keep his head up better than 
before. There was a chance of escaping the 
Lynx. 

“You little brat!” shrieked Loup, dancing 
around in the shallow water. “I’ll teach you 
to trick me!” 


26 


Buster the Bear 


Loup was an excellent swimmer, but be 
didn’t like the water. He hated to get his soft 
fur wet, for it took a long time to dry it in 
the sun. He never took a swim unless forced 
to it either to catch his victim or to save his 
life. 

But this was one of those occasions when he 
had to swim or lose his prey. Buster was 
surely escaping him. In a few more minutes 
he would be on the opposite shore where he 
could hide in the bushes until his mother 
returned. 

‘^All right!” added Loup finally, making 
up his mind. ‘‘I’m coming for you!” 

These words didn’t frighten Buster nearly 
so much as the terrible splash he heard a mo- 
ment later behind him. It seemed as if the 
river rose a foot, and that big waves were 
dashing against the bank. Loup had run up 
a tree leaning over the edge of the river, and 
launched himself from it. When his body 
struck the water it made a loud noise. 

Buster made a frantic effort to increase his 
speed, but once when he glanced over his 
shoulder he nearly lost heart. Loup was 
swimming with great powerful strokes which 
brought him closer every second. He didn’t 
splash and flounder around in the water as the 
cub did, but, with all except his ugly head 


How Buster Got Out of tlie River 27 

and long tail under the surface, he moved for- 
ward with the least amount of friction. Loup 
swam as steadily and easily as a boat propelled 
by a screw. 

Buster grew frantic with dread. He ex- 
pected any moment to feel Loup’s powerful 
paw crushing down on his head, for right be- 
hind him he could hear the deep breathing of 
the Lynx. There was no hope — no escape! 

^^Thought you’d get away from me, Buster, 
didn’t you?” laughed Loup when within a 
few yards of the cub. “Ha! Ha! This is 
delicious sport! Now I’m going to duck you 
and half drown you, and then duck you again.” 

“Oh, please, please — ” gasped Buster, who 
was pretty well winded now. “Please let me 
go!” 

For reply Loup laughed louder than ever. 
Then Buster thought of a trick. This time 
he made it up, for he had heard nothing in 
the bushes to make him think his mother was 
returning. But under the circumstances you 
can’t blame him for stretching the truth. 

“Oh, Loup, there’s mother coming!” he 
cried. “I must go to her at once!” 

Loup was not deceived this time. He took 
a cautious peep around him, and then splashed 
the water violently with his two front paws. 


28 


Buster the Bear 


*^You can’t deceive me that way the second 
time, Buster,” he said. “Your mother isn’t 
coming. I’m going to kill you, and then take 
you up on the bank and eat you.” 

“But, Mr. Loup, I haven’t done anything to 
you. Won’t you let me go this time? I’ll 
promise to be your friend, and — ” 

“No!” roared the Lynx so loudly that the 
echo went ringing up and down the river. 

He raised a great paw to grasp Buster, who 
to escape it dove under the water and disap- 
peared for an instant; but he couldn’t stay 
there long, and when he reappeared there was 
the menacing paw raised to strike him. 

Loup really liked to torture his victims. It 
wasn’t his nature to kill them outright. It 
gave him great pleasure to see them suffer. 
If he had struck at Buster at once, he might 
have killed him in one blow; but he didn’t, 
and that was what saved the little bear’s life. 
There was rescue at hand which neither one 
dreamed of. 

There was a sudden splash in the water, and 
then a dull thud as something hard and heavy 
struck Loup on the nose. He jumped back 
with a scream of rage. At first he thought 
Buster had played a trick on him, but when 
another heavy thing hit him on the back of 
the head he knew differently. 


How Buster Got Out of tlie River 29 


From the shore there came excited cries. 
“Hit him again! Let me try him this timeT 
Loup glanced that way, and understood in- 
stantly, Two men were standing on the shore 
pelting him with rocks. Two of them had 
hit him, and others were coming his way. 
There was no fight in Loup when caught in 
the water, and with a scream of rage he turned 
and swam for the opposite bank. He wasn’t 
going to risk the loss of his life for the sake of 
a good dinner. 

The next story will tell how Buster met the 
men, and was carried away as a captive. 


1 




I 


I 


i 

a 


. 










STORY IV 


Buster is Carried Away by the Men 

Buster was nearly as much surprised as 
Loup by the sudden appearance of the men, 
but he lacked the strength to turn and swim 
back to the other side of the river. Indeed, 
between fear and his hard struggle he was al- 
most ready to give up and sink. He felt he 
couldn’t take many more strokes even to save 
his life. 

At first he thought the rocks were being 
hurled at him, but as they followed Loup half 
way across the river, the men throwing them 
until the Lynx was out of reach, he concluded 
that maybe he was safer on that side with the 
men than on the other with his old enemy. 
This belief was strengthened when the men 
stopped bombarding the Lynx, and turned to 
Buster. 

“It’s a young bear!” said one of the men. 

“Sure! I told you so before. We must 
save him. Here, little fellow! Come here! 
We won’t hurt you !” 


31 


32 


Buster the Bear 


Buster looked at them with eyes that seemed 
ready to pop out of his head. He was so 
thankful that the men were not going to hurt 
him that he swam straight toward them. One 
ran out to meet him, and caught him in his 
arms. 

‘‘The poor little fellow’s hurt,” the man 
said, noticing the blood on Buster’s shoulder 
where Loup’s claw had caught him when he 
first tumbled in the river. 

“I wish we had a gun to shoot that Lynx,” 
remarked the other. “I’ll come back and lay 
for him.” 

The man holding Buster stroked his head 
and back, as he carried him up on dry land. 
“The poor little fellow’s tired out and half 
dead with fright,” he added. 

“And hungry, too,” said the second man. 
“We must find him some warm milk. Got 
any in the camp ?” 

“Nothing but condensed milk.” 

“Well, we’ll try him with that.” 

They carried Buster up to their camp in the 
woods, and brought out a can of condensed 
milk. After warming some of this over the 
fire, they gave it to Buster. 

Nothing ever tasted so good as that milk, 
for Buster was cold, tired and still trembling 
from fright and weakness. He didn’t know 


Buster is Carried Away by the Men 38 

it until then, but he was dreadfully hungry, so 
hungry that he couldn’t stop until he had 
lapped up the last drop. 

The two men watched him in silence, and 
then patted him on the back. ‘‘You were 
hungry, little chap, weren’t you?” remarked 
one. “Well, that’s enough for the present. 
We don’t want to make you sick.” 

“Oh, give him a bit of this honey-comb for 
dessert That won’t hurt him.” 

And then to Buster’s delight, the man 
handed him something, the very odor of which 
sent the blood tingling through his veins. One 
taste of it, and Buster was in ecstasy. It was 
his first taste of honey, and the grunt of pleas- 
ure that escaped his lips sent the men into a 
roar of laughter. 

“The little chap’s having the time of his 
life,” one laughed. “Like Oliver Twist he’ll 
be begging for more when that’s gone.” Of 
course, Buster didn’t know anything about 
Oliver Twist, but he did know that he could 
eat that delicious honey all day, and when the 
last drop was gone he did beg for more. 

“Stand on your hind legs and ask for it, and 
I’ll give it to you,” said the man. 

Buster didn’t know exactly what he meant, 
but it was much easier to reach up to the hand 


34 


Buster the Bear 


containing the honey when he stood on tw^o 
legs, and he unconsciously obeyed. 

“Now ask for it.” 

Buster opened his mouth and snapped at it, 
but the hand was raised beyond his reach. 
Then, disappointed, he uttered a little cry of 
eagerness. To his surprise the man gave him 
the honey. 

“That’s right,” he laughed. Then turning 
to his companion, he added: “I’m going to 
teach him tricks, J im. You can teach a young 
cub almost anything if you begin early 
enough.” 

All this was strange talk to Buster, but he 
had learned the first lesson of his new life — 
the trick of begging. After that when he 
wanted milk or honey or anything else, he 
stood up on his hind legs and grunted or cried 
for it. He found that he always got what he 
wanted in this way. 

With his little stomach full of rich milk and 
sweet honey, Buster grew very sleepy, and 
when he curled up to rest one of his rescuers 
spread a warm blanket over him. In a few 
minutes he was lost in slumberland. 

When Buster awoke he had a queer sensa- 
tion of being carried in a hammock or some- 
thing equally soft and comfortable. It was so 
different from his hard bed on the rocks! His 



Hr stood o'J tits htnd i.kos and cried for it 



Buster is Carried Awaj?^ by the Men 35 

first thought was that it was all part of a 
dream, but remembering his experience with 
Loup the Lynx he shuddered, and set up a call 
for his mother. He was frightened, and 
whimpered so loudly that the man carrying 
him opened the blanket and peeked in. 

“What is it, Buster?” he asked, addressing 
him by the very name his mother had always 
called him. “Hungry again?” 

Buster was indeed hungry again, but he was 
also homesick and wanted his mother. He 
kept on whimpering when the man took him 
out of the blanket and patted him. 

“Oh, give him something to eat. Bill, and 
stop his crying,” said the man’s companion. 

So they stopped long enough to feed him 
again, and after that Buster felt less home- 
sick, and, it must be confessed, forgot his 
mother. The men began playing with him, 
and Buster rolled over and gnawed at a stick 
for them until they roared with laughter. 

“Do you know, Jim,” said one of his cap- 
tors, “we’ve got a rich prize in that cub. He’s 
the most intelligent little chap I ever saw. I 
wonder where he came from.” 

“Probably his mother was killed, and that 
Lynx knew it, and was trying to make a dinner 
off him.” 


36 


Buster the Bear 


“I’d like to get a crack at that lynx some 
day.” 

“So would I. But I’m mighty glad we 
saved the cub. He’ll make a fine pet. He’s 
as playful as a dog.’^ 

Buster was a little startled to hear that his 
mother had probably been killed. That would 
account for her not returning to the cave when 
he called her. Had Loup killed her? No, 
Buster didn’t think so, for his mother was big 
and powerful, and could easily knock a lynx 
over with one blow from her paw. Then who 
was her murderer, or wasn’t she dead? 

These questions were too hard for Buster to 
answer, and he soon stopped trying to think 
of them. Meanwhile, he was safe and well 
fed, and his two captors liked him. Why 
should he worry about something that couldn’t 
be helped? 

At night time the men came to a cabin near 
the edge of the woods, and Buster was given 
a warm blanket in one corner of it. He 
watched them cook their evening meal, and 
ate whatever they fed him. The bacon siz- 
zling in the frying pan smelt so good that 
Buster poked his nose in it, and then drew 
back with a howl of pain. It burnt his little 
nose and brought the tears to his eyes. 


Buster is Carried Away by the Men 37 

“Let that be a lesson, Buster, not to poke 
your nose in things that don’t belong to you,” 
laughed one of the men. Then he handed 
him a piece of bacon well cooked, and not too 
hot Buster swallowed it in one gulp. 

“What are you going to do with the little 
fellow, Jim?” suddenly asked one of the men. 
“You know we can’t keep him in the city.” 

“I’ve thought of that,” replied the other 
slowly. “The only thing we can do is to sell 
him. He ought to be worth something.” 

This was the first hint to Buster that he 
wasn’t always going to live with his captors, 
and it made him very sad. When bears were 
sold, what became of them? Buster didn’t 
know, and he went to sleep very troubled. But 
he wasn’t sold after all, and in the next story 
you will hear how he was stolen. 





















STORY V 


How Buster Was Stolen 

Buster remained three whole days in the 
camp with the two men who had saved him 
from Loup the Lynx, and during that time he 
learned many things that his mother had never 
taught him. For one thing he learned man- 
ners. 

One day he stuck his nose in the pot of soup 
on the table and began licking it up until a 
hand grasped him by the neck, and jerked 
him back. “Buster, you’ve got to learn your 
manners, and the time to begin is when you’re 
young,” said the man who held him. “Now 
I must punish you so you’ll never stick your 
nose in the soup again without remembering 
it.” 

With that two sharp blows from a small 
stick landed on Buster’s nose. He yelped 
with pain, and tried to run away, but his cap- 
tor held him. “The next time you will get 
three blows instead of two,” he added gravely. 
Buster never repeated the offence. 

For another thing he learned it paid to be 
39 


40 


Buster the Bear 


obliging. When the men asked him to jump 
over a stick or dance on his hind legs, he re- 
ceived a double lump of sugar if he promptly 
obeyed. A little extra dance, or a new kind of 
trick, always brought something to reward 
him. Buster was shrewd enough to connect 
the two together — the trick and the reward. 

But there was one thing he hadn’t learned, 
and it got him in trouble again just as it did 
that day when he disobeyed his mother in leav- 
ing the cave when she was away. The men 
had to go away for a few hours, and they shut 
Buster up in the cabin, with the remark: 

‘Wou stay in here, Buster, and watch the 
camp. We’ll be back soon.” 

‘‘Better close that window, Jim,” remarked 
the other. “He might climb up to it and get 
out.” 

“No, it will be too hot in here. Besides, I 
think we can trust Buster. He won’t try to 
get out” 

Of course, when they left Buster had no 
intention of disobeying. He was satisfied to 
curl up in a corner of the cabin and sleep until 
they returned ; but they were gone for a long 
time, and late in the afternoon he got very 
restless. 

“I’ll climb up there and look out,” he said 


How Buster Was Stolen 41 

to himself, glancing up at the window. “They 
didn’t tell me not to do that.” 

To reach the window he had to climb up 
on the stout table, and jump from that to the 
broad window-sill. This feat wasn’t so dif- 
ficult, for Buster had learned to use his claws 
with great skill in climbing. The jump to 
the window-sill was a short one, but he nearly 
missed it, and had to scramble desperately to 
prevent a fall. 

Once on the window-sill, however, he was 
well repaid for his trouble. It was a beau- 
tiful day outside, and the woods smelt so sweet 
and attractive that Buster felt a strange long- 
ing to get out there and roll around among 
the leaves. But he wasn’t going to do it. 
No, he remembered the words of his captors, 
and while he had made no promise he in- 
tended to obey them. 

Just the same when Groundy the Wood- 
chuck came along and cast a long shadow in 
front of the window, Buster leaned so far out 
that he nearly lost his balance. Groundy 
glanced up, and at first was startled and ready 
to run ; but when he saw that Buster was no 
more than a cub, only a little larger than 
himself, he stopped and spoke to him. 

“What are you doing up there?” he asked, 
“You don’t live in that house, do you? If 


42 


Buster the Bear 


you don’t look out the owners will come along 
and catch you.” 

^‘They’ve caught me already,” replied 
Buster. ‘That’s why I’m here, Groundy.” 

“Oh, then you’re a prisoner!” sighed 
Groundy. “I’m sorry for you. Are you tied 
by a chain?” 

“Indeed, I’m not! They don’t chain me up. 
I’m not a prisoner, either.” 

Groundy looked at him in silence, not quite 
able to understand. Buster was grinning at 
him as if he enjoyed his perplexity. Finally, 
Groundy said : 

“I can’t believe you, Buster. But there’s 
one way to show me. If you’re not a prisoner, 
tied by a chain, climb down here. Then I’ll 
believe you.” 

“I can’t — ” began Buster, and then stopped. 
Of course, if he said that Groundy would go 
away convinced that he was actually chained 
inside the window. 

“I thought so,” nodded Groundy. “Well, 
I’m sorry for you. I must be going now.” 

“Wait a minute!” called Buster. “I’ll 
climb down just to show you, but I can’t stay.” 

It really wouldn’t do any harm, he thought, 
to climb down and right back again to show 
Groundy that he was free. He would do it 
so quickly that he would be back in the cabin 


How Buster Was Stolen 43 

again before any one saw him. Groundy was 
waiting for him, and Buster couldn’t disap- 
point him now. 

He dropped easily to the ground under the 
window, and cried: ^^How was that for a 
jump, Groundy! You couldn’t do better, 
could you?” 

‘‘No, but the thing that puzzles me is, how 
are you going to get back again? Anybody 
can jump down a hill, but not many can jump 
up it Can you jump back to the window- 
sill?” 

Buster had not given much thought to this. 
He looked up, and the window was so high 
above his head he knew that he could never 
jump half the way. 

“I don’t know,” he stammered. “But may- 
be I can climb back. I’ve got good claws, 
and I can climb a tree.” 

“That may be, Buster, but you can’t climb 
the side of a house,” replied Groundy, “If 
you can I’ll watch you.” 

Groundy squatted down, and Buster anx- 
ious to show how well he could climb started 
to go up the side of the house; but a bear 
hugs a tree when climbing it, and Buster 
couldn’t get his paws around the cabin any 
more than he could fly to the moon. He 
made several attempts to dig his claws in the 


44 


Buster the Bear 


logs to pull himself up, but each time he 
tumbled back to the ground before he could 
reach half way. But he wasn’t going to give 
up trying right away, and again and again he 
made the attempt until completely exhausted. 

“You can’t do it, Buster,” remarked 
Groundy finally, rising to his feet. “I knew 
you couldn’t. It’s easier to roll down a hill 
than roll up it.” 

Buster was greatly disappointed, and he 
looked around to find something that he could 
roll under the window and climb up that way ; 
but a noise in the woods suddenly startled 
Groundy. 

“Someone’s coming,” he whispered. “I 
must be going. Better come with me, 
Buster.” 

“No,” was the reply. “I live here now, 
and I won’t run away just because I disobeyed 
and got in trouble.” 

Perhaps it would have been better for him 
had he accepted Groundy’s invitation; but he 
didn’t know that, and it was to his credit that 
he stayed. He knew that he had done wrong 
in climbing out of the window, but two 
wrongs don’t make a right, and Buster decided 
that he would face his masters and let them 
punish him if they wanted to. 


How Buster Was Stolen 45 

But he received a severe shock the next 
minute. A stranger appeared around the side 
of the cabin, and another on the other side. 
They were not pleasant looking. They were 
very unlike the two men who had rescued him 
from the river. 

^‘Head him off!” shouted one. “Don’t let 
him get away!” 

Buster was too surprised and frightened to 
run, and before he knew it he was caught by 
four stout arms and something thick and 
blinding was thrown over his head. He 
grunted and squealed, but nobody seemed 
to hear him. He was picked up and 
carried swiftly away in the woods and for 
a long time he was jounced and pounded 
about in a thick blanket that completely cov- 
ered him. 

When he finally got a peek of daylight 
again, he was in a strange place, with two evil- 
looking faces bending over him. In the next 
story you will hear about Buster’s new mas- 
ters. 


4 


STORY VI 


Buster’s Cruel Masters 

Buster was so enraged at the treatment he 
had received that the moment one of the men 
touched him he growled and snapped at the 
hand. He had nearly suffocated in the 
blanket, and all the way through the woods he 
had been bounced and jounced around cruelly. 
His captors had seemed to take delight in tor- 
menting him. 

So you cannot exactly blame him for being 
very angry when one of the men poked him in 
the ribs with a hand. The hand was quickly 
withdrawn the moment Buster snapped at it. 

“The little beast,” snarled the owner of the 
hand. “I’ll teach him to bitel” 

Before Buster knew what was coming, he 
was slapped over the head with a stout stick. 
It stunned him for a moment, and he lay very 
quiet. But when he got back his senses, he 
showed his teeth again and sprang for the 
man. 

This time he was knocked over and kicked 
about the room until he ached in every bone. 

47 


48 


Buster the Bear 


His two captors came for him with short, 
stout sticks, which they used freely. Again 
and again Buster sprang at them, and tried 
to bite them, but each time he was knocked 
down. 

You see, Buster was only a cub, and he was 
no match for two full grown men, but he had 
the spirit of his wild ancestors in him, and he 
fought until he was hardly able to stand up. 
Then he dropped down sullen and resentful, 
beaten into silence, but with his spirit still 
flaming with anger. 

From that day began a new life for Buster. 
He was no longer treated kindly and coaxed 
to do tricks. Every time he failed to do what 
his captors demanded of him he was kicked 
and cuffed about, and when he obeyed them 
he was not rewarded by any sugar or honey. 

Indeed, he nevei tasted either of these 
sweet things. \Yhat he had to eat were 
scraps of bread or meat which the men threw 
to him after they had eaten all they wanted. 
Instead of having the freedom of a cabin, he 
was kept chained up in a small, dark hut. 

And what a hut it was! It was dirty and 
smelly, with scarcely any sun or daylight in 
it At night time the men lighted a dirty old 
lamp or a smelly candle which spluttered and 
dripped without giving much light His bed 


Buster’s Cruel Masters 49 

was the bare, hard floor, with nothing for a 
covering except a few whisps of straw. 

Buster rebelled at all this treatment. He 
couldn’t get used to it. The men never spoke 
a kind word to him, nor ever patted him on 
the back in a friendly way. They whipped 
him for the slightest thing, and made him so 
afraid of them that finally he ran whenever 
one of them approached. 

But even this wasn’t the worst of his captiv- 
ity. In a short time his captors began to teach 
him to dance and do tricks, but not in the 
gentle way his former friends did. They put 
a muzzle on his nose so fie could not bite any 
one, and tied a chain to his neck. Then with 
a long pole, one end of which was sharpened, 
they prodded him into dancing. If he didn’t 
dance fast enough to suit them they jabbed 
him with the sharp pole, and sometimes when 
he was so tired he could hardly stand they 
made him stand on his head and turn a somer- 
sault. 

As a reward for all this Buster was given a 
few dry crusts of bread and a drink of water, 
but never any honey or sugar. At night time, 
sore and tired, he would curl up in the corner 
of his room, and think of the past. With tears 
in his eyes, he thought of his happy home in 
the cave, of his mother who was so kind to 


50 


Buster the Bear 


him, of Loup the Lynx, and of the two men 
who had saved him from the river, and fed 
him with rich milk and sugar and honey. 

Oh, how he wished he was back with them 
or at home in the cave with his mother! But 
wishing wouldn’t help him, and after a while 
he began planning a way to escape. He de- 
cided to be good, and obey his cruel masters, 
but the first chance he had he would run away 
from them. 

After that Buster became a model bear. He 
tried to please his masters, not because he 
liked them, but because he was waiting for 
the chance to run away. He was really a very 
bright bear, and within a couple of months he 
could do many tricks and stunts. He was 
given a tin cup, which he was taught to hold 
out to people, and when pennies were placed 
in it he bowed and carried them to the 
man with the pole. 

One day he was taken out on the streets, 
and was led along until they came to some 
children playing. One of his masters played 
a wheezy old organ, while the other shook the 
chain and told Buster to dance. 

Now dancing out in the fresh air, with chil- 
dren watching him and clapping their hands, 
was very much pleasanter than in his dirty 
room, and Buster enjoyed it. He danced as he 


Buster’s Cruel Masters 


51 


never did before, and when the man holding 
the chain told him to stand on his head and 
turn a somersault he obeyed promptly. 

There was a clapping of hands, and a shout 
of pleasure came from all sides. Buster got 
to his feet, bowed, and repeated the perform- 
ance. Then a little girl, holding the hand of 
a gentleman, approached Buster and handed 
him a stick of candy. 

It was time for him to pass the tin cup for 
pennies, but Buster was so pleased with the 
little girl’s attention, and so hungry for some- 
thing sweet, that he forgot his duties and took 
the candy. But before he could put it in his 
mouth the man with the chain jerked him 
back and prodded him with the sharp pole. 

Buster grunted with pain and hurriedly 
picked up the tin cup. A shout of anger went 
up from the crowd, and the gentleman holding 
the little girl’s hand spoke sharply to Buster’s 
master. Then he picked up the stick of candy 
and handed it to Buster, who took it and 
tucked it in his mouth. How sweet and de- 
licious it tasted! It made him think of the 
days when he was kept in the cabin with the 
two campers who had rescued him from the 
river. 

Once more there came a jerk on the chain, 
and the pole prodded him in the side. He 


52 


Buster the Bear 


had forgotten to pass the tin cup for pennies. 
The candy had made him forget his duties. 

Now it was not Buster’s fault that the crowd 
didn’t fill his cup with pennies. Indeed, it 
was because they knew the money was to go 
to the two men and not to Buster that the peo- 
ple refused to pay. 

“They don’t deserve anything!” somebody 
said. “They’re cruel to the poor creature! 
Don’t give them anything!” 

Buster made a complete circle of the double 
row of men, women and children, but not a 
penny was dropped in his cup. When he re- 
turned, finally, and handed the empty cup to 
his master he was greeted by an angry cuff. 
There was an angry growl from the people, 
and the men fearing trouble led Buster away, 
jerking him hard with the chain. 

But that wasn’t the last of his punishment. 
That night when he got home Buster was sent 
to bed without even his crust of bread. The 
men were angry because he hadn’t collected 
many pennies for them, and like many other 
people in this world they laid all the blame 
of their failure upon another. Buster was 
the scape-goat. 

In the middle of the night, Buster thought 
of the little girl who had given him the stick 
of candy, and groaning with pain and hunger 


Buster’s Cruel Masters 


53 


he made up his mind to run away very soon 
and find the girl if he had to travel half 
around the world. She would at least be kind 
to him, and that was all he wanted. On the 
very morrow he would plan a way to get out 
of the hut and begin his search for the girl 
with brown eyes and dimples in her cheek. 

Buster gets away in the next story, but he 
joined a circus instead of finding the little girl 
who had been kind to him. 



STORY VII 


Buster Makes His Escape 

Buster had been growing rapidly all this 
time, and instead of being a little cub he was 
nearly as tall as his mother and as broad as 
a Newfoundland dog. A few months had 
made a tremendous difference in his size and 
strength. 

But he was hardly aware of this change. 
He still thought of himself as a little bear, but 
had Loup the Lynx seen him now it is doubt- 
ful if he would have been so free to attack 
him. Loup had a wholesome respect for a 
full grown bear. It was only the young cubs 
that he liked to tackle and eat. 

But if Buster wasn’t aware of his growing 
size and strength his two captors were. That 
was why they kept him chained up at night 
and always carried a long pointed pole when 
they took him out on the street. They were 
afraid that some day Buster would realize his 
strength, and then all would be up with their 
control of him. 


55 


56 


Buster the Bear 


The day came, however, when Buster sud- 
denly found that his muscles were powerful 
and his strength greater than that of his mas- 
ters. They had been traveling all day from 
one small town to another, gathering in a few 
pennies here and there, and resting by the 
way-side whenever opportunity offered. It 
was a hot day, and the road was dusty and 
rough. 

When they came to a small brook the sight 
of the cool, sweet water brought to Buster’s 
mind pictures of the broad river that ran in 
front of the cave where he was born. A great 
desire to plunge in the stream and wallow in 
the cool water seized him. With this idea in 
mind he quickened his pace, and started down 
the embankment. 

A sudden jerk of the chain around his neck 
brought him to his senses, but with an angry 
toss of the head he continued on, dragging the 
man behind him. In vain the man tugged at 
the chain, shouting to his companion, who 
came up and began prodding Buster with the 
sharp end of the long pole. 

But Buster wanted to get in the brook. 
Nothing in all his life had ever appealed so 
much to him. The dust and dirt in his mouth, 
ears and nose irritated him. Instead of stop- 


Buster Makes His Escape 57 

ping he slapped at the pole and continued on 
his way. 

Then something happened that aroused him 
to fury. The man gave him such a vicious 
jab with the sharpened pole that it made him 
grunt and squeal. Heretofore such cruel 
treatment had always cowered Buster, but it 
had an opposite effect on him now. It aroused 
his fury. 

With a quick, lightening-like stroke he 
grasped the pole in his two paws, and before 
either of his captors could recover from their 
surprise he snapped it in two. It was all done 
so quickly that even Buster was surprised. 

Seeing the instrument of his torture lying 
broken on the ground, Buster smiled, and 
leered at the men. Something in their eyes 
attracted his attention. It was fear! Buster 
read it as clearly as if it had been printed 
there in large letters. 

His captors were afraid of him! They had 
lost their pointed pole, and thus disarmed they 
were no longer able to torment. Buster was 
the master of the situation. A great feeling 
of exultation swelled up in him. His eyes 
gleamed and flashed. 

Then with a roar he turned on the one 
holding the chain and struck savagely at him. 
What happened filled Buster with glee. The 


58 


Buster the Bear 


man dropped the chain and fled with cries of 
fright. Buster pursued a few yards, and then 
sat down on his haunches and laughed. 

^*Ho ! Ho I They’re afraid of me !” he said. 
‘T won’t have to be their slave any more ! All 
I’ve got to do is to growl at them, and strike 
them!” 

He got up and strutted around. He was a 
free bear once more. Never more would he 
be a captive. He waddled down to the brook 
and plunged into the cool water. He washed 
and drank and gurgled to his heart’s content. 
Once or twice his captors approached, and 
tried to coax him out, but he turned on them 
with a snarl and made them run away again. 

Then they disappeared entirely, and Buster 
was left alone to enjoy his bath. But his free- 
dom wasn’t to last for long, although he didn’t 
know it at the time. 

Now as it happened there was a circus in 
the town a few miles back, and his two masters 
who cared more about the money value of 
Buster than anything else, decided that it was 
a good chance to make a bargain. They knew 
that they would never be able to control their 
half-grown bear once he had discovered his 
strength and power. He was henceforth use- 
less for their work. 


Buster Makes His Escape 59 

But a circus was different. Buster would 
be valuable in the circus either as a trick ani- 
mal or as a dangerous man-eating creature 
that had to be kept caged all the time. People 
would pay money to view a bear that no man 
could tame. Of course, Buster was no such 
wild animal, and he had no intention of kill- 
ing any one, but the fact that he had broken 
away from captivity and refused to be cap- 
tured again furnished the foundation for a 
story that he was a wild, desperate animal that 
could not be tamed. 

Buster was lying on the grass near the 
brook, enjoying a quiet snooze, when he was 
startled by the appearance of half a dozen 
men armed with sticks and pitchforks. He 
raised his head and looked mildly at them. 
Behind walked the two men who had cruelly 
tormented him. 

‘‘There he is !” shouted one. “Look out for 
him, or he’ll jump on you!” 

Buster growled when he heard that familiar 
voice, and rose on his two hind legs to face 
the approaching crowd. Some of them 
stopped and refused to go any further; but 
two or three approached warily. They were 
armed with clubs and pitchforks, but one of 
them carried a long rope looped over an arm. 
Buster didn’t know what this was for, and he 


60 


Buster the Bear 


turned his attention to the men with the clubs. 

He growled and stepped toward them. 
They retreated a few steps — all except the 
man with the rope. He seemed cool and un- 
afraid. Buster eyed him curiously when he 
raised an arm and twirled the rope over his 
head. He even watched the rope circle in the 
air and come toward him. 

It was not until the rope looped over his 
head and settled on his shoulders that he 
understood; but it was too late then. The 
man jerked it, and Buster felt something 
around his neck that choked him almost to 
death. He tore at it with his paws, but be- 
fore he could rip it off another from behind 
caught him. 

Buster fought fiercely for a few moments, 
but when the men armed with pointed sticks 
and clubs ran in and began prodding him 
sharply every time he tore at the rope he began 
to grow afraid again. He was no match for 
all these men, especially when his neck was 
being squeezed so that he could barely draw 
a decent breath. 

When he quieted down, the men stopped 
prodding him, and Buster soon found that it 
didn’t pay to fight against such heavy odds. 
Only when his former captors came near him 
did he growl and show signs of anger. 


61 


Buster Makes His Escape 

Buster was led back a few miles and placed 
in a cage with iron bars. There was plenty 
of food and water in the cage, and he was glad 
to get inside with the ropes off his neck. 
Buster had joined the circus 1 

But would his new life be happier than the 
old? Had he jumped from the frying-pan 
into the fire, or were there days ahead when 
he could enjoy life once more without the fear 
of being beaten for every little mistake? He 
didn’t know, but he slept soundly and peace- 
fully that night even if he was a prisoner in 
an iron cage. 

What happened to him in the circus will 
form part of the next story, called Buster’s 
First Public Appearance. 




STORY VIII 

Buster’s First Public Appearance 

The cage in which Buster was kept was 
rather small, but it was clean and fresh, with 
plenty of straw on the bottom, and a blanket 
stretched on one side to shield him from the 
draft There were other cages in the place, 
and after the first night he began to get ac- 
quainted with their occupants. 

On his right there was an old Lion, who 
had lost most of his teeth and much of his hair. 
He snored so loudly the first night that Buster 
was twice awakened by what he thought was 
the roll of thunder. When morning dawned 
he asked the Old Lion if he always snored 
like that 

*‘Yes, when I’m asleep, but when I’m awake 
I snore like this.” 

To Buster’s surprise he opened his mouth 
and let out a roar that shook the whole place 
and started every animal crying and snarling. 
Spot the Leopard, who was caged on Buster’s 
left, growled and spit ferociously as he sprang 
from one side of his cage to the other. But 

63 


64 


Buster the Bear 


the Old Lion sat back on his haunches and 
roared with laughter. 

‘What did you do that for?” asked Buster, 
when the wild commotion began to subside. 

“Just to show you how I snore in the day 
time,” was the retort. “You want to hear it 
again?” 

“No, thank you, once is enough.” 

“Well, if you say so, I won’t,” replied the 
Old Lion. “But after you’ve been here a 
long time you’ll be glad to hear me roar. It 
breaks up the monotony. There’s nothing 
else to do, you know, and it gets dreadfully 
tiresome doing nothing. Heigh-o! it’s a dull 
life!” 

He yawned and stretched himself. Spot 
the Leopard on the other side stopped his 
snarling, and glanced between his bars at 
Buster. He was interested in this new-comer, 
and he continued to stare so long that Buster 
finally smiled back at him and nodded his 
head. 

“How did they catch you?” Spot asked sud- 
denly. 

“With a rope,” replied Buster. “I wasn’t 
expecting it, and they dropped it over my head 
before I could run.” 

Spot spit and snarled again to show his tem- 
per. “They caught me when I was a cub,” 


Buster’s First Public Appearance 65 

he said. ^‘They wouldn’t have caught me if 
I was full grown. They’re afraid of me now. 
Every time my trainer comes in I snarl and 
snap at her. She snaps the whip in my face, 
and I pretend to be afraid of it. But I’m not I 
I’m just waiting my chance. Some day I’ll 
pounce on her, and then — ” 

He swished his long tail and licked his lips, 
while his eyes glowed balefully. 

‘What sort of a trainer have you?” asked 
Buster. “Is she good to you?” 

“There she comes now,” whispered Spot. 
“You can see for yourself.” 

Buster turned and saw a young woman, 
dressed in a dazzling, sparkling costume of 
many colors, with a small cap surmounting 
her golden hair, and a thick, rawhide whip in 
her hand. There was a fearless look in the 
dark eyes, and when she strode up to Buster’s 
cage she surveyed him quite calmly. Buster 
returned her stare, and blinked two or three 
times. 

“He doesn’t look so ugly,” the woman said 
finally, addressing one of the attendants. “If 
I know anything about bears, I should say he 
was naturally good-humored. But of course 
you can’t tell. His temper may have been 
ruined by some one. His name is Buster, you 
say?” 


66 


Buster the Bear 


She walked up to the cage and stuck a hand 
between the bars and patted the shaggy head. 
‘Well, Buster, we’re either going to be friends 
or enemies,” she added. “Which is it?” 

Buster couldn’t reply right away, so sur- 
prised was he, but unconsciously he stuck out 
his tongue and licked the hand. How soft 
and velvety it felt! Instead of drawing the 
hand away, she permitted him to lick it again. 
Then she smiled. 

“You can see,” she said, speaking to the at- 
tendant, “he’s answered my question. We’re 
going to be friends. Now open the door for 
me. I’m going inside.” 

Once more Buster was surprised, but not 
nearly so much as the attendant. “Don’t do 
it, Chiquita,” he said in alarm. “He’s not to 
be trusted. He’s a vicious brute.” 

Chiquita smiled and put on her gloves. 

“Do I need your advice, Billy,” she said, 
“when it comes to training animals? Now 
please open the door.” 

“But, Chiquita, you will wait until I sum- 
mon the attendants to protect you if he at- 
tacks you.” 

“No, I’m going in now.” 

She opened the door herself and stepped in 
the cage. Buster watched her with eyes of 
admiration and surprise. He had no fear of 


Buster’s First Public Appearance 87 

her. This dainty little creature could not hurt 
him. Indeed, she looked so slight and help- 
less that he felt more like protecting her than 
hurting her. 

She came up to him and rubbed his nose. 
He grunted with pleasure. Then she patted 
his head and talked to him in a low, sweet 
voice. Then she asked him to get down, and 
when he obeyed she sat on him. She touseled 
his head, opened his mouth and stuck a hand 
in it, and finally patted him again, and said : 

*‘He’s all right, Billy, as harmless as a kit- 
ten. We’ll put him in the circus tonight in 
place of poor old Bowser.” 

Billy, the attendant, wasn’t convinced of the 
wisdom of this course, and shook his head, but 
Chiquita laughed and walked out of the cage. 

Buster didn’t know just what they meant, 
for he had never been in a circus before, but 
that evening he learned. 

He was wheeled into a brilliantly lighted 
place and stopped alongside of a big circular 
cage containing nearly a dozen other animals. 
There was the Old Lion, Spot the Leopard, 
Boar the Hound, Timber the Wolf, Ocelot the 
Jungle Cat, and several others which he did 
not instantly recognize. 

His coming started up a commotion among 
the animals, for just like people they were 


68 


Buster the Bear 


curious and inquisitive. They eyed him fur- 
tively an4 sniffed at him. But without notic- 
ing them he waddled across the big cage and 
took a vacant place near the Old Lion. 

Then something happened that dazzled 
him. The curtain around the big circular 
cage disappeared, and a sea of human faces 
were visible on every side. The lights went 
up, and the whole place seemed like a wonder- 
ful picture. 

The next moment Chiquita entered the cage, 
holding her whip in one hand and a flag in 
the other. She gave a few sharp orders and 
the animals began to pose, dance and run 
around. It was all new to Buster and a little 
confusing, but he tried to follow and imitate 
the others. Apparently this pleased Chiquita, 
for she patted him once, and whispered in his 
ear: 

‘‘Well done, Buster! You’re doing splen- 
didly!” 

Buster noticed that Spot the Leopard was 
often surly and ugly, refusing to obey until 
Chiquita hit him with the whip. This made 
him mind, but it didn’t improve his temper 
any. His surliness made the others nervous, 
and once they got all snarled up and confused. 

“You, Spot,” cried Chiquita, “I’ll punish 
you if you don’t behave. Now take that!” 


Buster’s First Public Appearance 69 

. She gave him a sharp rap over the nose with 
her whip. It stung and enraged Spot, who 
cowered back a moment, and then crouched 
for a leap. Chiquita saw what was coming, 
but she didn’t flinch. She snapped the whip 
in his face again, but this time the trick didn’t 
work. 

Spot flung himself through the air in a 
mighty leap, uttering a low savage growl, 
which excited the other animals so they set up 
a wild roar. Attendants ran to the cage with 
long irons and sticks in their hands, but Chi- 
quita was penned against the iron bars, vainly 
trying to hold Spot off at arms’ length. There 
was a great shout outside, and everybody stood 
up, with fear and horror in their eyes. 

In the the midst of the confusion, Buster 
suddenly came to life. He had taken no part 
in the commotion, but when he saw Spot at- 
tacking Chiquita, whose white face and ap- 
pealing eyes were turned toward him, his 
anger flared up. He would not stand by idly 
while the Leopard tore and scratched the 
white flesh of his friend. 

With a low growl, Buster started across the 
cage, baring his teeth in an ugly grin, and 
holding aloft a paw ready to strike. The 
other animals stood aside to let him pass, but 


70 


Buster the Bear 


Spot was snapping and snarling at Chiquita 
so that he did not see him. 

How Buster saved Chiquita from Spot the 
Leopard, and won her undying friendship, 
will be told in the next story. 


STORY IX 


Buster Saves Chiquita 

Spot the Leopard had attacked Chiquita so 
suddenly that she had little chance of defend- 
ing herself, and the other animals, excited by 
the commotion, were ready to join in the at- 
tack against their fair trainer. 

Buster had not been in the circus long 
enough to learn the ways of the other animals. 
Chiquita had been kind to him, and after the 
cruel treatment from his former masters it 
seemed as if the dainty young trainer was more 
than a friend to him. He recalled Spot’s 
threat to pounce upon Chiquita some day and 
punish her. 

Buster resolved, as he crossed the cage in a 
few long strides, to protect Chiquita, and if 
necessary to fight Spot the Leopard. He was 
angry with Spot, but not so much as to inflict 
serious injury on him. It was only when he 
got close and saw the deep scratch on Chi- 
quita’s arm where the Leopard’s claws had 
laid the flesh open, that his anger flared up to 
white heat. 


72 


Buster the Bear 


With a deeper growl than before, he raised 
his right paw and delivered a telling blow on 
Spot’s body. It was not intended as a knock- 
out blow, but Buster had grown to powerful 
proportions, and his most playful cuff was 
enough to do considerable damage. 

It landed with a deep thud on Spot’s side, 
and the Leopard was hurled to the other side 
of the cage with a bang. He struck the iron 
bars, and for a moment seemed too stunned or 
surprised to utter a sound. Buster calmly 
stood in front of Chiquita and glared defiantly 
at his enemy. 

Spot recovered his senses after a while and 
let out a growl and screech that made every 
one in the circus shudder. He crouched down 
low, swishing his tail, and glaring at Buster. 
It was a moment of intense suspense. 

To make matters worse the other animals 
kept up their uproar. The fight had stirred 
their blood, and they began crouching and 
stalking about the cage as if anxious to get in 
the fray. Ocelot the Jungle Cat in particular 
showed great excitement. He began creeping 
upon Buster from behind, and Timber the 
Wolf sneaked in closer to get a chance. 

Buster through the corner of his eyes no- 
ticed the restless, threatening motions of the 
two. Boar the Hound ran around, barking 



He raised his right paw and delivered a telling blow on 

Spot’s body 




£ 


Buster Saves Chiquita 


73 


vigorously, but made no attempt to take any 
part in the fight. The Old Lion, who was too 
sleepy and indolent even to roar, sat apart as 
if he was to be the judge of the contest. 

Chiquita, who was slightly wounded, cow- 
ered back of her defender, unable to get her 
whip or to make her voice heard. A thousand 
spectators outside watched with horrified eyes 
the combat. Attendants were running around 
with long poles and irons to prod the animals 
back to their corners, but they were so excited 
they did little good. 

Suddenly Spot the Leopard took advantage 
of a moment when Buster was watching Ocelot 
the Jungle Cat He sprang at his enemy like 
an arrow from a bow. At the same instant 
Ocelot closed in, and Timber the Wolf 
watched for his opportunity. 

But Buster hadn’t been taken off his guard. 
He had kept one eye on Spot, and when he 
shot through the air that powerful right paw 
of his was raised again. It caught Spot in 
mid-air. It was no gentle blow this time. It 
was delivered with all the force that lay be- 
hind those powerful shoulder muscles. 

It landed on Spot’s body with such a thud 
that it could be heard in every corner of the 
great circus. The Leopard was hurled back 
against the iron bars with such force that it 


74 


Buster the Bear 


seemed for a moment as if they would give 
way. Spot grunted, and dropped to the floor 
in such a dazed state of mind that he couldn^t 
think or act. 

Buster having delivered this knock-out blow 
turned swiftly to Ocelot, whose claws had sunk 
into his shaggy leg. The huge paw came 
down on Ocelot’s head and nearly crushed the 
skull. He dropped his hold and lay down as 
if suddenly struck by lightning. 

Buster, smarting with the pain in his leg, 
growled in rage, and turned to Timber the 
Wolf. Now Timber was naturally a coward. 
The punishment meted out to Spot and Ocelot 
immediately caused him to change his mind. 
He ran around the cage as Buster started in 
pursuit. 

A temper, once it gets beyond control, is a 
terrible thing to have. It may lead into all 
sorts of trouble. Buster by this time had lost 
his completely. He was so enraged that he 
wanted to kill everything in the cage. His 
eyes grew blood-shot and terrible to look at. 

He lunged at Timber, and missed him, but 
the Old Lion happened to be in the way. 
Buster gave him a side cuff that made him roar 
with pain. It was a glancing blow. If Old 
Lion hadn’t been so old that most of his teeth 
were gone he would have struck back, and 


Buster Saves Chiquita 


75 


Buster v^ould have been in a peck of trouble. 
He didn’t know much about lions in those 
days. 

The next animal that got in his way was 
Boar the Hound, which he sent whimpering 
across the cage. Then he came to Spot, who 
was just recovering his senses, and with an 
angry snarl hit him again and stood before 
him like a cat over a mouse as if defying him 
to run or strike back. 

Round and round the cage Buster pursued 
the animals, striking right and left, and 
tumbling them all in a heap whenever he got 
within striking distance. Ocelot climbed to 
the top of the iron bars and crouched there in 
shivering terror. 

Timber the Wolf leaped and jumped over 
the backs of the others, and thus escaped ser- 
ious injury. It was a mix-up that threatened 
to end in a terrible tragedy. Buster was mas- 
ter of the situation, and so enraged that he 
continually saw red. The pandemonium out- 
side, and the quickly thrusting sticks and irons 
of the attendants, had no effect on his temper. 
He ignored the noise, and merely snapped and 
snarled at the sharp irons every time they got 
in his way. 

Then Chiquita, who had been cowering in 
her corner in fright, suddenly regained con- 


76 


Buster the Bear 


trol of her nerves. She picked up her whip, 
but did not use it. Instead she walked calmly 
up to the enraged bear, and said sharply: 

“Buster! Buster!” 

Buster stopped short as if pricked by a 
needle. When his name was repeated in that 
soft voice, he closed his dripping jaws and 
ceased growling. 

“Buster, come here!” added Chiquita. 

It was a soft, soothing command, and it fell 
on Buster’s excited nerves like cooling balm. 
He looked at Chiquita, and then without so 
much as a grunt waddled toward her. 

What followed made every one in the vast 
audience gasp. Chiquita, ignoring her dan- 
ger, suddenly put her two arms around 
Buster’s neck, and actually wept on his shaggy 
breast. 

“Buster, you saved my life,” she said gently, 
“Spot would surely have killed me if you 
hadn’t come to my help. You dear old 
Buster!” 

Buster’s emotions cannot be described. All 
his rage suddenly vanished. He put a paw 
on Chiquita’s shoulders, and then fearful of 
hurting her, dropped it to his side. 

She raised her head from his breast, and 
added: “Now come with me. Take me out- 
side.” 


77 


Buster Saves Chiquita 

And leading Buster she walked across the 
cage, opened the door and stepped out. 
Buster meekly followed. Outside she led him 
by a paw across the arena, and faced the great 
audience. “You have seen what happened,’’ 
she said in a clear voice. “Can you wonder 
that I love Buster the Bear?’^ 

The audience went wild, shouting and wav- 
ing to them, and Buster was so confused he 
hardly knew what to do. In the next story 
Buster becomes a famous trick bear. 














STORY X 


Buster Becomes a Trick Bear 

Buster was not popular among the animals 
of the circus after his fight with Spot the 
Leopard, but he was a great favorite with the 
circus people. From being regarded as a 
dangerous bear, ready to kill his trainer at 
any moment, he was looked upon thereafter 
as a special pet who could be trusted by every 
one. 

Of course, it was Chiquita who favored him 
the most. She bestowed more attention upon 
him than on any of the others. She petted him 
praised him, feeding him dainties, and giving 
him the softest bed in the place. She even 
permitted him to roam about the rooms she 
occupied, and as Buster did not get in mischief 
or do any harm his liberty was extended day 
by day. 

Buster grew as fond of Chiquita as she was 
of him, and he obeyed her as meekly and will- 
ingly as a pet dog. None of the ugly temper 
he showed when fighting Spot in the cage 

79 


80 


Buster the Bear 


showed itself again, and Chiquita began train- 
ing him for trick performances. 

Buster had already received a little training, 
and he was quick to pick up his new lessons. 
He soon learned to jump through a hoop, skip 
rope, and turn somersaults back and forth. 
Then one day, Chiquita said: 

‘^You would make a good clown, Buster, I 
believe. Yes, you would.” 

Not knowing what a clown was, Buster 
merely grinned and nodded his head. Chi- 
quita made a wonderful dress for him out of 
red, white and blue flannel, and with a tall hat 
on his head Buster looked like the cartoon of 
Uncle Sam. Dressed as the goddess of lib- 
erty, Chiquita appeared in the arena walking 
arm in arm with her escort. 

This brought great applause from the audi- 
ence, and what pleased the people pleased 
Buster. He grinned and nodded his head, 
and strutted around with his head high in the 
air. 

All the time he was receiving special favors 
and attention. Spot the Leopard and Ocelot 
the Jungle Cat were in their cages watching 
for an opportunity to get revenge on him. 
The pain they suffered from Buster’s hard 
blows was nothing to what they suffered in 


Buster Becomes a Trick Bear 81 

mind and spirit. They were nearly consumed 
with rage and envy. 

Buster never passed near the cage without 
their snarling and spitting at him. They 
could do this in safety, for the iron bars were 
between them. Right down in their hearts, 
however, they were afraid of him. 

Buster, who carried no spirit of ill-feeling 
against them, merely grinned when they spit 
at him. But one day he stopped in front of 
Spot’s cage, and said : 

‘Why don’t you forget and forgive. Spot? 
This carrying a grouch around with you all 
the time spoils your face. Let’s be friends.” 

“Friends!” snarled Spot. “I may think of 
that after I’ve clawed off some of your hide!” 

“Me too!” echoed Ocelot. “And I’d like 
to begin with your eyes.” 

“And I’ll lap up his warm blood when 
you’ve killed him,” growled Timber the Wolf 
from his cage. 

Buster, instead of being offended at these 
threats, sat back on his haunches and laughed. 
Then noticing the Old Lion watching them, 
his eyes blinking sleepily, he turned to him. 

“What would you like to do to me. Old 
Lion?” he asked. 

“Nothing, Buster, except to give you some 
good advice,” was the reply. 


82 


Buster the Bear 


^^That’s a friendly offer. I’ll listen to it” 

The Old Lion winked and blinked, 
stretched himself with a yawn, and then sat 
up looking for all the world like the noble 
king of the beasts. 

“When your enemies threaten you, Buster,” 
he said slowly, “it is wise to listen to them so 
you may be prepared. Don’t let the pride of 
strength deceive you. The mouse gnawed 
through the net that the lion couldn’t break, 
and Cobra the Reptile put a whole jungle of 
animals to flight. That is all, Buster.” 

“Thank you. Old Lion,” replied Buster. 
“I’ll remember what you said.” 

“It doesn’t make any difference to me 
whether you remember it or not,” was the an- 
swer, as the Old Lion stretched out and went 
to sleep. 

Buster did remember the advice for a few 
days, and then forgot it. He also ignored 
Spot and Ocelot, for they refused to make 
friends with him. Meanwhile, his progress 
as a trick bear increased, and he appeared 
nightly before big audiences with Chiquita. 

One day the big tent was taken down, for the 
circus was to move to another town. There 
was such noise and confusion that every one 
was upset. Buster found his customary rest- 
ing place filled with packing boxes and bag- 


Buster Becomes a Trick Bear 83 

gage. Somewhat put out by this he wandered 
around, and finally climbed on the top of a 
bundle of canvas away from the confusion. 

It was a soft, comfortable bed, and Buster 
soon fell asleep. He snored and rolled around 
in his slumber until attendants came running 
up to find out what the trouble was. When 
they discovered him, they laughed and said: 

‘Tt’s only Buster taking his mid-day snooze 
with the high treble stops wide open.’^ 

Buster hadn’t noticed that the pile of canvas 
was close to the two cages where Spot and 
Ocelot were kept. They had kept so quiet 
that he never suspected their nearness. But 
the Leopard and Jungle Cat had seen him, and 
were watching him with flashing eyes. 

As he snored and rolled around in his sleep, 
they kept their eyes patiently and watchfully 
on him. Once a shaggy paw came close to 
Spot’s cage, and he stealthily put out a fore- 
arm to see if he could reach it. He fell short 
about an inch. 

He withdrew his paw silently and resumed 
his watchful waiting. Ocelot on the other 
side was equally interested in one of Buster’s 
fore paws. It was within a few feet of his 
cage. 

Buster rolled over and flung his legs out to 
their full length like an animal stretching. 


84 


Buster the Bear 


The result was just what the two vengeful 
enemies were waiting for. Spot reached 
through the bars of his cage and caught the 
hind leg of Buster with his sharp claws, and 
Ocelot attacked one of his fore-legs. 

Buster was aroused from his sleep by sharp 
pains that seemed like a thousand needles 
sticking in him. When he attempted to spring 
to his feet he found himself a prisoner. Spot 
and Ocelot were tugging, tearing and biting 
with all their might as if they would pull him 
apart and haul him through the bars of their 
cages. 

Taken at such a disadvantage, Buster for a 
moment was helpless. Then the pain became 
so severe that he brought all of his powerful 
muscles into play, and jerked with such force 
that both cages came tumbling over on top of 
him. 

The sudden upsetting of their cages startled 
Spot and Ocelot so that they jumped back in 
fright. Buster was immediately on his feet, 
rolling the cages around as if they had been 
made of jackstraws. With a lightning blow 
through the bars he struck Spot a whack that 
sent him reeling backward. Then before he 
could recover, Buster sprang around on the 
opposite side and knocked him back. For a 


Buster Becomes a Trick Bear 85 

moment it looked as if he would break through 
the cage and kill Spot. 

When the attendants ran up, Buster was 
shaking Ocelot’s cage in a vain endeavor to 
get at him. The Jungle Cat was so frightened 
that he shivered and whined for mercy. 
Buster’s anger could not be quieted until Chi- 
quita came up. She patted him, and led him 
away to bind up his wounds. The Leopard 
and Jungle Cat were glad to see him go. In 
trying to get revenge on Buster they had been 
punished nearly as much as he. 

‘T should have remembered the Old Lion’s 
advice,” Buster said to himself when Chiquita 
bound up his wounds. Then looking at her, 
he added: “But there’s some good in every- 
thing. I wouldn’t have such a tender nurse 
if I wasn’t wounded.” And he smiled with 
satisfaction. 

Next will come the story of how Buster was 
caught in a railroad wreck. 













STORY XI 


Buster in a Railroad Wreck 

The circus was preparing to move into its 
winter quarters, and it was the confusion of 
packing that caused Buster to get mixed up 
with Spot and Ocelot in their cages. His in- 
juries were very slight, and within a few days 
after Chiquita had bound them up his legs 
were as good as new. 

He felt a little angry at the Leopard and 
Jungle Cat for attacking him when fast asleep, 
but Buster wasn’t the kind to nurse a grudge. 
When his wrath cooled a little he actually 
laughed at the occurrence. Strolling outside 
to where the cages were standing, he grinned 
at the Leopard. 

‘Wou got a good dig at me. Spot,” he said, 
^‘but with that last cuff I gave you I guess we 
can call it even. Head ache yet?” 

Spot didn’t reply, but paced his narrow cage 
in restless dissatisfaction. Buster turned to 
the Jungle Cat. 

^^How about you. Ocelot! Got over your 
scare yet? I didn’t touch you, but you looked 

87 


88 


Buster the Bear 


as scared as a rat in a trap when I shook your 
cage.” 

Ocelot showed the same silent contempt 
and refused to reply other than with a low 
snarl. Buster turned to Old Lion. 

“The only cheerful one I find in this group 
is you, Old Lion,” he added. “Spot and Oce- 
lot don’t look happy, and Timber the Wolf 
acts as if he had an ingrowing pain in his 
stomach. How about you?” 

“I’m always cheerful,” replied Old Lion. 
“That’s why I’ve grown bald and toothless, 
and lived to a good old age. Spot and Ocelot 
will die young if they don’t change their man- 
ners. So will you, Buster.” 

“Why,” stammered Buster, “I do try to be 
cheerful. I didn’t know I was anything else.” 

“That may be,” replied Old Lion, “but 
you’re too ready for a fight. Every battle you 
get in shortens your life by so many days.” 

“I don’t fight unless I’m attacked,” was the 
quick reply. 

“I didn’t know the animals attacked you 
the other night in the circus. You started the 
fight.” 

“Yes, but not until after they had attacked 
Chiquita,” Buster said indignantly. “I had 
to protect her, for she was a friend of mine.” 


Buster in a Railroad Wreck 89 

‘^Are you going to fight to protect all your 
friends in this world?’’ asked Old Lion sleep- 
ily. “If you do, I predict you will die young. 
Now I must go to sleep, for we begin our long 
journey soon, and I do hate riding on a train. 
It rasps my nerves.” 

Buster never knew how seriously to take the 
Old Lion’s words, but he was a companionable 
and harmless old fellow, and sometimes 
rambled on just to hear himself talk. He was 
getting so old that talking was the easiest thing 
to do, and between eating and sleeping that 
was about all he did. Sometimes he appeared 
in the circus as a fierce old lion, who had 
killed any number of keepers, but it was grow- 
ing harder and harder for him to assume the 
pose. He wasn’t fierce looking at all, except 
when he roared, and that was such an exertion 
he seldom did it unless prodded by the attend- 
ants. 

“How does it feel to ride on a train?” Buster 
asked when he saw that the Old Lion was 
going to drop off asleep right before him. 

“How does it feel?” he drawled. “Why, 
it feels as if all the bones in your body were 
rattling, and when the train stops — and its 
stopping all the time when it isn’t going — you 
stand on your head and then on your tail, and 
if you’re lucky you don’t die of fright.” 


90 


Buster the Bear 


must be a wonderful experience,” re- 
marked Buster. 

“It is, and you won’t enjoy it. I don’t know 
what trains were invented for unless it was to 
torture those who ride in them. But when 
we get there we’ll have a long rest.” 

“Where?” asked Buster. 

“Where we’re going, and when you get there 
you wonder why you came, and where you are. 
Now do you understand?” 

Buster laughed good-naturedly, for his 
quizzing was making the Old Lion irritable. 
He wanted to sleep and Buster strolled away, 
leaving him to enjoy his nap. 

The next day the animals were taken aboard 
the train. Some of the harmless ones were 
led there and tied to posts in box cars, and 
others like Ocelot and Spot were lifted aboard 
in their stout cages. No chance could be 
taken with them. 

Buster found himself in a small compart- 
ment of a baggage car, with Chiquita occupy- 
ing a seat just forward of him. She trusted 
him so much that she liked to have him near 
her. But as he had never been on a railroad 
journey before he was fastened in the car by 
a chain. 

“You might forget yourself, Buster, or get 
excited, and try to jump off when the train was 


Buster in a Railroad Wreck 91 

moving,” she said to him, when chaining him 
up. isn’t because I don’t trust you. You 
understand that, don’t you?” 

Buster nodded his head, as she patted him, 
and looked at the chain. It was not a very 
strong one, and he smiled at the thought of 
what he could do to it if he wanted to escape. 
He could snap it in two with one jerk of his 
powerful body. 

The train started finally, and Buster was as 
interested and excited as a child on her first 
railroad journey. The jolting and rattling 
began almost at once. He recalled Old Lion’s 
words, and wondered if he was groaning in 
agony. Such rolling and jerking were enough 
to rattle Old Lion’s teeth loose. And Spot 
and Ocelot! How did they like the noise and 
confusion? 

The train steamed along slowly at first, and 
then faster. Through a window in the bag- 
gage car Buster could see the houses and trees 
flashing past as if they were all running in the 
opposite direction. It was a funny sensation. 
Instead of being frightened by it, Buster en- 
joyed it. 

never ran so fast in my life,” he said to 
himself. ‘^Even Loup the Lynx couldn’t run 
as fast as this.” 


92 


Buster the Bear 


He stopped and scowled. He never thought 
of Loup without growing angry. The Lynx 
had treated him in a cowardly, cruel way, a<id 
Buster somehow wanted to punish him for it. 
But there seemed little prospect of his ever 
meeting the Lynx again. 

‘‘Oh, well,” Buster sighed, “I can’t spoil 
my temper thinking of something that hap- 
pened in the past.” 

Still right down in his heart he had a great 
desire to go back to the woods where he had 
been born. Perhaps his mother was alive yet, 
and he would dearly like to see her again. 
How surprised she would be to find him 
grown up, fully as big as she, and far more 
powerful ! 

Suddenly in the midst of these thoughts 
there came a grinding shriek outside, and the 
most fearful of explosions. Buster raised his 
head to listen, and then he was thrown against 
the opposite side of the baggage car with such 
force that the chain snapped. Everything be- 
gan to break and fall down upon him, the 
whole roof of the car collapsing. 

Stunned by the fall, and unable to under- 
stand what had happened, Buster lay there a 
moment in silence. Everything was quiet 
after that awful noise, but wild shrieks of Oce- 
lot, Spot and other animals soon filled the air. 


Buster in a Railroad Wreck 93 

Then came the deafening hiss of steam, and 
shouts and cries of men. 

What had happened! Buster was curious 
to know what all this noise meant, and finding 
himself loose, with no roof over him, he 
climbed out of the wreck. It was dark out- 
side, but there were many lights flashing 
around. 

Buster walked down the track where a 
group of men were at work. They paid no 
attention to him, and he sat down to wait. 
Chiquita would come along soon to claim him. 
But he waited and waited, and nobody paid 
any attention to him. Finally, he got up and 
wandered off in the fields, and before he 
stopped he was lost and couldn’t find his way 
back again. 

“I think I’ll sleep here until morning,” he 
said, seeking a good resting place under a tree. 
“Then I’ll find my way back to the train.” 

But it wasn’t the train he found. It was 
the little girl who had given him candy that 
day he danced for pennies. 

















STORY XII 


Buster Meetts the Little Girl Again 

When Buster woke the next morning the 
sun was just peeping above the trees. He had 
slept so soundly that he couldn’t recall right 
away all that had happened the previous night. 
He opened his eyes, and was surprised when 
he found that nothing around him was fa- 
miliar. 

He grunted and rose to his feet, blinking at 
the sun. Then it all returned to him. He 
remembered the jolt and crash, and the splint- 
ering of the roof of his car. He rubbed his 
head to see if the bruise still hurt him, and 
winced when it pained him. 

^‘I wonder what happened to the Old Lion,” 
he said, grinning. ‘‘He must have lost all his 
teeth last night.” 

Then he thought of Chiquita. If she was 
in the wreck, too, she may have lost something 
more than her teeth. Suppose she had lost 
her life! This thought grieved Buster. 

“I must go back and find out,” he said. 
“She’ll miss me.” 


95 


96 


Buster the Bear 


He waddled away through the bushes until 
he came to a road that was unfamiliar to him. 
Which way did he go to reach the railroad? 
He started up it, but hadn’t gone far before 
he saw a man approaching, carrying a basket 
on his arm. Buster was less alarmed than the 
man apparently, for with a shriek of terror 
the latter dropped his basket and ran up the 
road so fast that he was soon out of sight. 

‘What a foolish thing to do,” laughed 
Buster. “He must have had an evil con- 
science or he wouldn’t be frightened like that.” 

He waddled up to the basket the man had 
dropped. One sniff at its contents made his 
heart jump with joy. It was filled with nice 
fresh bread, rolls, and two blackberry pies. 

Buster didn’t consider it stealing. The 
man had left the basket, and it belonged to any 
one who found it. He was very hungry, but 
bear-like or boy-like (I don’t know which to 
call it) he began with the blackberry pies in- 
stead of the bread. He ate them up rapidly, 
stuffing them in his mouth with both paws. 
When they were gone he looked through the 
basket for more. 

The bread didn’t taste nearly so good after 
the pies, but Buster was still very hungry, and, 
not finding any more dessert, he began slowly 
munching the bread. If there had been soup, 


Buster Meets Little Girl Again 97 

I suppose, he would have ended his meal with 
that. 

After eating a dozen rolls, and one loaf of 
bread, he felt better. A noise up the street 
accompanied by loud shouting, suddenly made 
him stop and listen. Perhaps the man who 
owned the basket was returning with help. 

Buster decided that he wouldn’t wait until 
the men appeared, and taking a loaf of bread 
in each of his front paws he climbed over the 
fence and disappeared in the woods. Long 
before thje men reached the spot he had made 
his way into the heart of a big swamp where 
he sat down and finished his meal. 

He felt so much better by that time that he 
took a long drink from the brook, and then 
resumed his journey. He came out of the 
swamp on the opposite side, and seeing a hill 
climbed to the top. He hoped to get a view 
of the railroad from there. 

But when he reached it he saw no signs of 
it. There was a small cluster of houses on his 
right, a swamp and woods behind him, and 
open country on his left, with here and there 
a farm house. Buster decided to keep away 
from the village. 

The farm houses attracted him, for he could 
hear the crowing of a rooster off in that direc- 
tion and the cackling of geese. There was the 


98 


Buster the Bear 


moo of a cow and the neighing of a horse from 
one barn-yard, and the barking of a dog from 
another. 

“I won’t bother the dog,” Buster said, keep- 
ing away from that farm-yard. “They’re 
harmless, but very annoying.” 

He waddled across a field and climbed a 
fence until he stood in the barn-yard of the 
nearest farm. After reaching the barn he 
poked his head in the open doorway. A boy 
was in there milking a cow. Buster watched 
the streams of milk, and a sudden desire to 
taste milk again made him forget all caution. 
He stepped across the threshold, a pleasant 
grin on his face, and a rollicking smile in his 
eyes. 

But the boy didn’t see anything friendly in 
either the grin or the twinkling eyes. When 
he glanced up and caught sight of Buster, he 
sat on his milk stool as if paralyzed, and then 
recovering himself he let out a shrill cry and 
darted for the opposite door. He disappeared 
like a flash, leaving the milk pail behind him. 

^^How foolish of him!” said Buster. “I 
wouldn’t hurt him!” 

He picked up the milk pail and held it to 
his lips. There was a gurgle, gurgle as the 
milk ran down his throat, and it never stopped 


Buster Meets Little Girl Again 99 

until three whole quarts were emptied in his 
stomach. 

“That makes me feel better,” he said, rub- 
bing his fat stomach. “I’m so full now I can 
hardly walk. I’m sleepy, too.” 

The hay-mow overhead attracted him. 
How pleasant it would be to rest and sleep 
there! He was going to climb up the ladder 
for this purpose when a great noise outside 
alarmed him. He peeked out, and saw a big 
crowd of men and boys armed with sticks, 
axes, pitchforks and shot-guns, running toward 
the barn. 

Buster decided to leave, for he had no de- 
sire to meet the crowd. While his enemies 
came in the front door, Buster ran out of the 
back one, crossed an orchard, and reached a 
field beyond before he was discovered. He 
had a long start of them, but when they caught 
sight of him again they began to blaze away 
with their shot-guns. 

Buster was an excellent runner, and he 
made good time. Ahead of him was a bigger 
house, with a wide lawn in front, and a garden 
in back. Buster wasn’t going to enter this 
place, but another crowd of men appeared in 
front of him. If he kept on he would run 
right into their arms. 


100 


Buster the Bear 


Buster darted to the right, crossed the lawn 
and reached the back of the house. There 
was no one around, and Buster hunted for a 
hiding place. There was an open window 
over his head on the second story of the house, 
and a low shed leading up to it. 

Buster suddenly decided that was his best 
hiding place, and up the shed he climbed, 
scrambling to the roof and crawling across this 
to the open window. He looked inside, and 
seeing no one he entered. 

He was breathing hard, for after eating so 
much, his exertions told on him. This noise 
must have awakened the little sleeper on the 
bed, for suddenly she rose up and startled 
Buster so that he nearly fell down in a faint. 
He supposed the room was empty, and here 
was a young person staring at him. He 
stared back, grinning foolishly. He felt 
very much like a boy who had been caught 
stealing. 

Then to his surprise the girl clapped her 
hands, and said: ‘‘Oh, I believe you’re Buster! 
Yes, I know you are! And I’m so glad!” 

Until then Buster hadn’t recognized the 
little person. Now he remembered her. It 
was the little girl who had offered him a stick 
of candy that day he danced for pennies on the 
street. 


Buster Meets Little Girl Again 101 


But what pleased Buster more than anything 
else was her joy. She wasn’t a bit afraid of 
him! She wasn’t going to run away and 
scream for help. She wouldn’t hand him 
over to the men pursuing him with shot-guns. 
What a relief to him this was ! She was surely 
his friend, and would protect him just as Chi- 
quita had done so many times. He grinned 
with pleasure, and waddled toward the bed. 

How the little girl outwitted the men, and 
saved Buster from them, will be told in the 
next story. 


4 


STORY XIII 


Buster and the Little Girl 

Instead of showing fear when Buster ap- 
proached the bed, the little girl held out a 
hand, and when he was near enough she took 
one of his shaggy paws and patted it This 
seemed natural enough to Buster, for he could 
not understand why any one should be afraid 
of him, and Chiquita had done the same thing 
many times; but to most little girls perhaps it 
would seem like a brave and fearless thing. 
This little girl like Little Red Riding-Hood 
was not afraid of bears or wolves until they 
tried to eat her up. 

‘T’m glad to see you, Buster,” she said with 
quaint gravity. “But how did you ever get 
here?” 

Buster grinned and turned his head toward 
the open window. The little girl followed his 
gaze, and instantly understood. 

“Oh, you came through the window,” she 
added. “That makes it so much more inter- 
esting. Fairies and elves always come through 
open windows. Won’t you sit down?” 

103 


104 


Buster the Bear 


Buster was quite tired after his hard run, 
and was very glad to accept this invitation. 
The foot of the bed seemed a very inviting 
seat, and he sat on the white coverlet 

But almost immediately he sprang up in 
alarm. The springs creaked under his great 
weight, and for a moment it looked as if the 
whole bed would collapse. He jumped to his 
feet with a queer expression on his face. In 
fact, he wasn’t sure but this was some sort of 
a trap set for him. 

But the little girl laughed merrily at the 
accident, and clapped both hands. He could 
not believe she was attempting to deceive him, 
and he grinned like a foolish boy who had dis- 
covered a bent pin in his chair. 

“Oh, Buster,” she cried, “I guess this isn’t 
a bear-htdi. You’re too heavy for it Maybe 
the chair will hold you.” 

Buster turned and looked at the chair. He 
seemed a little doubtful, but he wanted to be 
polite. He tried it carefully, but when it be- 
gan to crack and groan under his weight he 
was wise enough not to go any further. He 
shook his head, and put the chair back in its 
place. 

The little girl shrieked with laughter again. 
It was very amusing to her, and Buster, not 
wishing to offend her, grinned and nodded his 










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He didn’t mind the floor as a seat 



Buster and the Little Girl 105 

head. He liked children, and this one was 
anxious to play with him. After a while she 
grew serious again, and looked around at 
every article in the room. 

“I don’t know, Buster,” she said slowly, “but 
you’ll have to sit on the floor. I don’t think 
anything else is strong enough to hold you. 
It’s not very polite to ask visitors to sit on the 
floor, but what else can I do, unless you prefer 
to stand?” 

Buster didn’t prefer to stand. He was very 
tired, and he didn’t mind the floor as a seat at 
all. In fact, it was more suitable to him than 
a bed or chair. So he squatted down on his 
haunches, and smiled. Even then his head 
towered above the little girl’s. 

“Are you comfortable there?” she asked. 

Buster nodded. “Then,” she added, “you 
must tell me where you came from, and how 
you escaped those cruel men. I want to hear 
the whole story. It’s better than a story from 
a book, and I love story books about bears. 
Did you ever hear the story of Goldy Locks 
or the Three Little Bears? No. Then I’ll 
tell you.” 

But she didn’t have time. Just then there 
was a great commotion outside. Men were 
shouting and calling, dogs barking, and a great 
hullabaloo going on under the open window. 


106 


Bus ter the Bear 


“What’s that!” exclaimed the little girl, 
hopping out of the bed, and running to the 
window in her bare feet. 

Buster could have told her what the noise 
meant, and for a moment he thought it was 
his duty to give himself up to keep the little 
girl from being harmed. Suppose the crowd 
searching for him should hurt her! He got 
up, and tried to pull her away from the win- 
dow, but she pushed him back quickly. 

“Go back, Buster!” she cried. “They’re 
looking for you, but they won’t have you. 
They mustn’t see you!” 

The dogs below were barking. They had 
tracked Buster to the woodshed, and were now 
holding their nose up in the air baying loudly. 
As plain as words they were saying the bear 
had climbed to the roof of the shed. 

The men saw the open window, and im- 
mediately a hoarse cry rose. “He’s gone in 
that window! He’s eating up little Nell! 
Oh I Oh!” 

You could imagine Buster’s emotions when 
he heard this outcry. To be accused of eat- 
ing up little Nell was enough to make any 
self-respecting bear angry. He growled sav- 
agely, and started for the window again. But 
the little girl restrained him once more. 


Buster and the Little Girl 107 

^‘No, no, Buster, you musn’t let them see 
you!” she cried. *‘Now let me think! What 
ought I to do? They’ll be here soon. Yes,” 
glancing out of the window, “they’re climbing 
up the shed. Oh, Buster, hide under the 
bed!” 

Buster obeyed, but he might just as well 
have tried to crawl through the key-hole of 
the lock on the door. He couldn’t possibly 
squeeze under the bed without upsetting it. 

“Dear me,” added Nell, biting her lips, 
“where can I hide you?” 

She looked at the closet filled with her 
pretty clothes. She ran to it and looked in. 
It was such a small closet that Buster couldn’t 
possibly crowd in it. 

“I don’t know, Buster,” she added, “what I 
can do.” She looked at her trunk. No, of 
course, not; she couldn’t get Buster in that. 
The bureau next, and then the wash-stand. 
Not one of them was big enough to hold one 
of Buster’s hind legs. 

They could hear the men climbing to the 
roof of the shed now. In a few moments they 
would appear at the open window with their 
shot-guns and pitchforks. The little girl was 
more excited than Buster. Suddenly an idea 
came to her, and she gasped with delight. 


108 


Buster the Bear 


“Here, Buster,” she called sharply, seizing 
him by a paw. “You must lie down on the 
floor at the foot of the bed. Get way down ! 
No, no, not that way! This way! Pull your 
legs up like a cat cuddling up before the fire. 
There, that’s right. Now don’t you move or 
make a sound. You hear me?” 

She shook a finger warningly at him. She 
had made Buster curl up on the floor at the 
foot of the bed in the smallest space he had 
ever before occupied. It was not a comfort- 
able position for him, but for the little girl’s 
sake he was satisfied to stay there. 

Then Nell pulled the clothes down, and 
threw them over the foot-board of the bed and 
spread them out on the floor until Buster was 
completely covered. She laid the pillows on 
top just as if they had been put there to air. 
She had been taught to do this every morning 
after rising, and then open the window for the 
fresh air to blow in. 

The men appeared at the window just as she 
had finished. Without waiting for an invita- 
tion they climbed in. 

“Where is he?” they asked. “Where’s the 
bear? We thought he was in here eating you 
up, Nell.” 

They were glancing all around the room, 
and if Buster hadn’t been so well concealed 


Buster and the Little Girl 109 

they would have seen him. Nell turned to 
them with dignity, and said in her high little 
voice : 

“What an idea! Is there a bear around 
here? Oh, I’d dearly like to see him! I 
know he wouldn’t hurt me! Where did he 
come from? Is he outside?” 

She ran to the window and looked out 
Satisfied now that Buster was not in the room, 
the men climbed out, but they closed the win- 
dow after them, and said: “Keep that shut, 
Nell!” 

In the next story Buster is discovered in the 
house. 



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STORY XIV 


Buster Tries to Escape and is Discovered 

When the men left the room and closed the 
window after them, Buster and the little girl 
felt greatly relieved. Satisfied that the bear 
had not climbed in the open window, the 
searching party turned their attention else- 
where. But the danger wasn’t over yet, and 
Nell knew it. She patted the top of the bed- 
clothes, and whispered: 

^^Keep quiet a little longer, Buster. Here 
comes some one up the stairs.” 

Buster grunted and lay as still as a mouse. 
There was a knocking on the door, and when 
the little girl opened it her father appeared. 
He was very white and trembling. 

‘‘A bear that escaped from the railroad 
wreck is roaming around here, Nell,” he said. 
“I was terribly afraid he had climbed up the 
shed to your room. I’m so glad you’re safe.” 

He kissed her and seemed greatly relieved 
to find his daughter safe. He crossed the 
room and looked out of the window. Then he 
returned to her. 


Ill 


112 


Buster the Bear 


“Perhaps you’re safer here until they find 
him,” he added. “Stay right here in your 
room, and keep the door and window locked. 
I’ll come and tell you when they find him.” 

The little girl could have laughed in her 
glee, for this was just what she wanted. She 
was terribly afraid Buster would smother un- 
der all those clothes and make a noise. She 
couldn’t get her father out of the room quick 
enough. 

When he was gone, and the door locked, she 
ran to the bed, and threw back the clothes. 
Buster was all curled up just as she had left 
him. But he was fast asleep ! It was a warm, 
comfortable bed, and after his long run and 
heavy breakfast of pies, rolls, bread and milk 
it had seemed impossible to keep his eyes open 
for long. And the moment he closed them he 
was sound asleep. 

The little girl sat down on the floor, and 
laughed until the tears streamed down her 
cheeks. Buster woke with a start and blinked 
at her. He couldn’t for several minutes im- 
agine where he was. 

“Oh, Buster,” she exclaimed finally, “I 
thought you were being smothered to death, 
and you were so comfortable you fell asleep.” 

Buster struggled to his feet and began 
chuckling. It made him happy to see the 


Buster Tries to Escape 113 

merriment of the little girl. She pulled the 
clothes up and flung them back on the bed. 
She was a very prim little housekeeper, for 
she was not satisfied until the pillows were 
brushed off and patted in position and the 
sheets and covers carefully smoothed out. 

Buster watched her in silence, and then in 
his clumsy way offered to help, but he pulled 
the clothes so hard, and made such a general 
mess of it, that he stopped when the girl sat 
down and laughed again at him. 

never saw anybody so clumsy, Buster,” 
she said. “No, you can’t help any more. You 
sit down there in the middle of the floor until 
I’m through. Then we’ll have breakfast to- 
gether.” 

The moment she uttered these words she 
stopped. Have breakfast together? How 
could she arrange that? How, in fact, could 
she manage to get Buster any breakfast with- 
out somebody discovering him in her room? 

What did bears eat anyway? And how 
much? Goodness, from the size of him, he 
might eat her father out of house and home! 
The little girl felt terribly distressed all of a 
sudden. She had saved Buster from his pur- 
suers, but now that she had him what was she 
going to do with him? 


114 


Buster the Bear 


You couldn’t keep bears in a bed-room or 
closet, nor could you chain them up in the 
back yard like a dog? Everybody would be 
afraid to visit the house, and all the servants 
would leave. What could she do? 

“Buster, haven’t you any home you can go 
to?” she asked suddenly, turning to him. 
Then she remembered what her father had 
told her. The train carrying the circus ani- 
mals had been wrecked, and some of the peo- 
ple and animals killed. Of course, the circus 
people would like Buster back again, but was 
he happy there? Or did he run away because 
they treated him cruelly? 

“Buster, do you want to go back to the cir- 
cus?” she added after a pause. “For if you 
do I’ll have to tell them you’re here, and if 
they want you they’ll call for you.” 

Now Buster had no desire just then to re- 
turn to the circus. He thought it would be 
much nicer to live with the little girl and 
play with her. So he shook his head vigor- 
ously, which made the girl sigh, and say sol- 
emnly: “Then you won’t have to go back! 
I’ll keep you here!” 

She cleaned up things in the room, and 
dressed herself. Her breakfast was waiting 
for her downstairs, and if she didn’t go soon 
her father would be up after her. 


115 


Buster Tries to Escape 

^^Buster,” she said once more, laying a hand 
on his head, “I’m going down now to get my 
breakfast, and then I’ll bring you something 
to eat — some sugar and coffee, and jam and — 
and — what do you like to eat?” 

Buster only grinned and shook his head. 
The little girl was puzzled. “I know what 
I’ll do,” she added, smiling. “I’ll ask my 
father. He’s wise and knows everything, and 
he’ll tell me what bears eat. I know he’ll like 
you, Buster.” 

Of course, Buster wasn’t quite so sure of 
this, but he had no way to express his doubts. 
He heard the little girl running down the 
stairs, and then for a long time he was left 
alone. It was a queer situation for him. He 
walked across the room, and the floor squeaked 
with every tread. Then he looked out of the 
window and immediately ducked his head, for 
there was a man and dog below on guard. 

He waited a long time for the little girl to 
return, and then grew restless. He tried the 
door, and finding it unlocked opened it and 
stuck his head out. All was quiet in the 
house. He couldn’t hear any one around. 

A great fear that something had happened 
to the little girl suddenly made him very anx- 
ious. Perhaps the men and dogs had cap- 
tured her, and were holding her because she 


116 


Buster the Bear 


had hid him in her bed-room. This thought 
made him angry. If she was in trouble and 
needed him, he would go to her assistance. 

Buster closed the door softly behind him 
and started down the stairs. Now that he was 
going to the little girl’s assistance he wasn’t 
afraid of anything. He hadn’t been afraid to 
attack all the animals in the big cage when 
Chiquita was in danger. Then why should 
he be afraid now! 

Down, down the stairs he clumped, his 
great weight making each step squeak and 
groan. Nobody was in the hall below, and the 
whole house seemed quiet and deserted. Had 
the men taken the little girl away with them? 
Buster uttered an angry growl and took an- 
other step down. 

Then directly in front of him appeared a 
man. He stepped out of a doorway so sud- 
denly that both bear and man were surprised. 
Buster recognized him immediately as the 
gentleman who held the little girl’s hands thait 
day she fed him a stick of candy. 

The man started suddenly, stared at the 
bear on the stairs, and backed slowly away. 
^^Nell! Nell!” he called. ‘‘Keep away! Go 
back! The bear is in the house! Run for 
your life and tell the men!” 


117 


Buster Tries to Escape 

But little Nell, instead of running away, 
pushed past her father and surprised him so 
that he nearly dropped down with fright 
She ran straight up to Buster and hugged him. 
Then laughing she turned to her father. 

‘Tt’s only Buster, and he wouldn’t hurt me. 
Why, he’s been in my bed-room all the time!” 

What they decided to do with Buster after 
that will be told in the next story. 




















STORY XV 


Buster is to be Sent to the Zoo 

It seemed almost like a fairy story to the 
little girl’s father when she told him how 
Buster had climbed through the window of 
her room, and how she had covered him up 
with the bed-clothes to protect him from the 
men. And he didn’t believe in fairy stories! 
In fact, he didn’t believe just then that he was 
awake and hearing things. It surely was all 
a dream. 

But there was Buster on the stairs, and his 
little girl hugging the great big, shaggy crea- 
ture. Why, with one blow the bear could 
crush the life out of her! It made him tremble 
to think of it. He tried to call her away, but 
she didn’t hear him. She was talking to 
Buster, who seemed to understand. 

^^Now, papa, you see he won’t hurt me,” 
she said finally, “and I won’t let the men hurt 
him. We must do something for him.” 

“Yes, yes, dear,” was the stammering reply. 
“But what?” 

“Can’t we keep him here?” 

119 


120 


Buster the Bear 


The man smiled for the first time. “Where 
in your bed-room?” 

“No-o, but maybe outdoors. I think he 
likes outdoors the best.” 

“But, dear, he would never be happy here, 
and he’d frighten all of our neighbors. He 
may be good to you, but he might be ugly to 
others.” 

“Not if they were kind to him,” was the con- 
fident answer. 

“Maybe not! Maybe not! But we must 
think of it.” 

He was quiet for a moment, watching 
Buster out of the corner of his eyes. He was 
less afraid of the bear than at first Some- 
thing in his eyes made him think that perhaps 
his little girl’s trust was not misplaced after 
all. But he had a natural fear of all wild ani- 
mals, and did not like to run any risks. 

“I’ll tell you, dear,” he added finally, “we’ll 
put Buster in the cellar until the men have 
gone, and then — then we’ll telegraph to the 
owners of the circus. They will come for 
him, and he’ll be better off with them than 
with us.” 

“But maybe he ran away from the circus 
because they were cruel to him,” protested 
Nell. “I don’t want him to go back then.” 


Buster is to be Sent to the Zoo 121 

don’t know about that, but I read in the 
papers that the circus people are going out of 
business. Their loss of animals in the smash- 
up decided them to give up the show business. 
Chiquita, their famous trainer, was injured so 
she’ll never go back to performing again. I 
believe she’s in the hospital now, and won’t be 
out for a month or two.” 

Now all this was news to Buster. They 
couldn’t understand how eager he was to learn 
all about the circus. If Chiquita was injured 
in the wreck, then perhaps Spot and Ocelot 
and Old Lion were hurt, too, or even dead. 

It made him very sad, for it meant the end 
of his circus life. He would never want to 
perform for another trainer now that Chiquita 
was gone. Poor Chiquita! Buster shed a 
tear for her, for she had been his dear friend, 
and he knew now that he couldn’t help her or 
ever see her again. 

‘‘Then, papa,” broke in little Nell again, 
“we can keep Buster, can’t we?” 

“Only a few days, dear,” was the smiling 
reply. “We have no place to keep him, and 
I’m sure he’d soon try to escape.” 

The little girl pouted, and looked anxiously 
at Buster before speaking. “Then what will 
become of him?” she added. “He won’t have 


122 


Buster the Bear 


any home at all. That will be dreadful, papa, 
and he’s been so good to me.” 

‘‘Ah!” exclaimed her father suddenly, his 
eyes brightening. “I have it. We’ll send 
him to the Zoo. We’ll make them a present 
of him if the circus people don’t come to 
claim him.” 

The little girl was not exactly sure that she 
approved of this, and she continued pouting 
and looking at Buster. “But won’t they shut 
him up in a cage, and keep him there all the 
time?” she queried. “I don’t think I’d like 
to be caged forever and forever, would you?” 

The question was addressed to her father, 
but Buster answered it with a vigorous shake 
of the head. He didn’t know anything about 
the Zoo. It was a place he had never heard 
about, but if they kept bears caged up there 
all the time he didn’t care to know more about 
it. It certainly was a dreadful place. 

He had often pitied Spot and Ocelot for 
being shut up in their cages all the time, but 
he blamed them a good deal for that. They 
wouldn’t behave themselves decently, and it 
served them right. But that was no reason 
why he should be kept in a cage all the rest 
of his life. No, he preferred to be free. 

“My dear,” Buster heard the father say 
after a pause, “that is the only wise thing to 


Buster is to be Sent to the Zoo 123 


do. Keeping him here is simply out of the 
question. We must put him in the cellar until 
I can notify the authorities. Then they’ll put 
him in a cage at the Zoo, and you can go and 
see him as often as you like.” 

The thought of being able to see Buster at 
the Zoo made her feel better, and she turned 
and whispered to him: ‘T’ll come every week 
to see you, Buster, and I’ll bring you sugar 
and peanuts and candy, and everything.” 

Buster smiled, for he knew that she meant 
what she said, but he was greatly troubled in 
mind. Could he, for the sake of seeing the 
little girl once a week, endure prison for the 
rest of his life? All the outdoor freedom 
would then be denied him. He couldn’t walk 
around, nor perform before people fn the cir- 
cus; he couldn’t even crawl under a pile of 
canvas or a clump of bushes to sleep. He 
would always be behind those iron bars. 

He remembered how Old Lion had com- 
plained of the monotony of life in the cage, 
and Old Lion had grown old and weak in 
doing nothing. Spot, Ocelot and Timber had 
never become reconciled to their captivity, but 
paced their cages day and night longing to 
escape. 

Buster drew a great sigh, and glanced out 
of the window. He saw green trees, smiling 


124 


Buster the Bear 


fields and tinkling brook. Ah, how he loved 
those! No, he could not leave them forever. 
He started for the outside door as if to leave 
the house. 

‘^Don’t let him out, Nell,” the little girl’s 
father said. ‘‘The men and dogs are out there. 
Do you think you can get him down the cellar 
for the night?” 

“Yes, papa, he’ll come with me,” was the 
answer. “Won’t you, Buster?” 

Buster nodded, and followed her. He had 
no wish to go outside and fall in the hands of 
his pursuers. So he meekly followed the little 
girl down the stairs to the cellar where he was 
safe from all his enemies. It was a wide, 
roomy cellar, and Buster felt quite content 
there, but the thought that the men might call 
for him on the morrow to take him away to 
the Zoo spoilt his happiness. 

When the little girl left him, he had made 
up his mind. Before morning he would break 
out of the cellar and escape. There had come 
into his mind a vision of the woods where he 
had been born, and a great desire to find his 
way back. Could he do it? In the next 
story you will hear how he set out on his long 
journey, and what happened to him. 


STORY XVI 


Buster Returns to the North Woods 

Buster spent the rest of the day in the cellar 
of the house where the little girl lived, sleep- 
ing part of the time and playing with his little 
friend whenever she had the time to come 
down. There were many things in the cellar 
that smelt good — jams and jellies stored away 
in a closet, potatoes, apples and cabbages in 
bins, and boxes full of dry groceries — but 
Buster did not touch any of these. He ate 
what the little girl fed him, and nothing else. 

As the day dragged along, and night ap- 
proached, he thought more and more of the 
North Woods where he had been born. He 
saw the beautiful river that flowed past the 
cave, heard the tinkling of the waves and the 
songs of the birds, and sniffed the fragrance 
of the millions of wild flowers. He thought 
of his mother, who had mourned his death — 
of Loup the Lynx, who had driven him from 
home, and made him an exile. 

And the more he thought of these things, 
the more anxious he was to return to the 

125 


126 


Buster the Bear 


woods. He was not needed in the circus now. 
Chiquita had gone, and he would never find 
another trainer like her. The little girl was 
his friend and loved him, but he could have 
no home with her. Then the place for him 
was in the woods where he would be free to 
roam about and hunt as he chose. 

It was nearly dark when the little girl said 
good-night to him. She kissed him on the 
tip of the nose, and Buster felt a desire to take 
her in his arms and hug her. But he knew 
that would never do. His gentlest hug might 
break her little bones and kill her. So he con- 
tented himself with a smile and grin, and 
waved a paw to her as she closed the door. 

Buster ate the supper she had brought down 
to him. He felt that he needed it all for his 
great journey. It might be days before he 
could get another such supper. It was quite 
dark outside when he had finished. 

But there were lights upstairs and sounds of 
voices. Buster sat down and waited until they 
had all gone to bed, and the house was as quiet 
as a mouse. Then he got up and began pre- 
paring for his escape. The windows were out 
of the question, for they were too small for 
him to crawl through. So he devoted himself 
to breaking through the outside door. 


Buster Returns to North Woods 12T 

This was locked, but Buster leaned his 
heavy weight against it until the lock creaked 
and then snapped. The door sprung open so 
suddenly that he tumbled outside all in a heap. 
The night was clear and quiet. The noise 
made by the bursting of the lock did not seem 
to disturb anybody, and Buster started across 
the fields in a slow jog trot. 

When he reached the border of the swamp, 
he skirted the edge instead of plunging 
through it He finally came out on the road 
where he had frightened the man carrying a 
basket of pies and rolls. He smiled at the 
remembrance of it, and wondered if the man 
would come again with another basketful of 
good things. 

Buster had started out with the intention of 
finding his way back to the North Woods, but 
he soon found himself in a quandary. Which 
way should he go to find them? And how far 
off were they? 

He might have been compelled, after all, to 
return to the little girl’s house and go to the 
Zoo for the rest of his days, if he hadn’t 
stumbled by accident upon Sleepy the Opos- 
sum cuddled up in a crotch of a tree. 

^^Hello, Sleepy,” he called, “can you direct 
me to the North Woods, and tell me how far I 
must travel to reach them?” 


128 


Buster the Bear 


^Tollow the wind, Buster,” replied Sleepy, 
“and travel day and night until you get there. 
That’s all I know.” 

The wind was blowing from the north, and 
after traveling in that direction all night, 
crossing fields, woods and swamps, he came 
to rest in a dense thicket. “I’ll sleep here,” 
he said, “until night, and then go on.” 

He didn’t want to show himself in the day 
time, and so he slept soundly all day. When 
he stretched himself toward sundown, he saw 
Curly the Skunk nearby watching. 

“How far is it to the North Woods, Curly?” 
he asked. “And which way do I go?” 

“It’s far again as you’ve traveled, Buster,” 
was the reply, “and it will take you twice as 
long to reach it, for there’s a big river to 
cross. Follow the moon, and you won’t miss 
it.” 

Buster thanked him for this information, 
and as there was a bright moon he had no 
trouble in keeping in the right direction. As 
on the previous night he traveled until the 
dawn of a new day, and then once more sought 
refuge in a dense swamp to sleep. 

He was awake bright and early, rising be- 
fore the moon was up. This time he asked 
Washer the Raccoon, who responded 
promptly: 


Buster Returns to North Woods 129 

^‘Follow the trail made by White Tail the 
Deer until you come to the river. Then cross 
it, if you can. It’s a long swim, and I wouldn’t 
like to undertake it.” 

Again Buster thanked his little forest friend, 
and resumed his hard journey. He was pretty 
tired and dirty by this time, for he had walked 
through swamps and thickets of briars in the 
dark, and had fallen and stumbled a number 
of times. But he had to reach the North 
Woods where he would be in no further dan- 
ger of capture. Now that he had decided to 
return to his old home, he wasn’t going to be 
turned aside by anything. 

He reached the bank of the river by dawn. 
It was certainly a wide river, and very swift. 
He walked in it and drank his fill of cool, re- 
freshing water. Seeing Billy the Mink wash- 
ing himself on the bank, he called to him: 
“Must I swim the river to reach the North 
Woods, Billy?” 

“You certainly must,” laughed Billy, “un- 
elss you can fly across. You haven’t wings 
yet, have you, Buster?” 

“Not yet, Billy.” 

Then taking a plunge in the deep, swift 
stream, Buster began his long swim. The 
current was so strong that it carried him far 
down from the point he had in view, and at 


130 


Buster the Bear 


times it seemed as if he wasn’t making any 
headway at all. His long tramp in the woods 
began to tell on him, and he puffed and 
grunted as never before. 

But he was a powerful swimmer, and in 
time his feet touched sandy bottom on the 
other side. He waded through the shallow 
water until he stood on dry land once more. 

^^My, Buster, you look like a drowned rat!” 
exclaimed a voice in the bushes. He turned 
to see Groundy the Woodchuck smiling at 
him. ‘When did you arrive?” continued 
Groundy. “And how big you’ve grown! I 
hardly knew you at first.” 

“How far am I from the North Woods, 
Browny?” Buster interrupted. 

“How far? Why, as far again as half.” 

“This is no time for joking, Browny. I 
want a plain, straightforward answer.” 

“Well, then you’ll have it. You’re there 
now! You’re standing in the North Woods !” 

Buster gave a little sigh of relief. So he 
was back home, in the woods where had been 
born ! How good the trees and bushes looked 
and smelt! He sniffed the pines and spruces. 
He looked at the river he had crossed, and for 
the first time realized this was the stream that 
passed the door of his old home. By follow- 
ing it up he could come to the cave where his 


Buster Returns to North Woods 131 


mother had lived, and where Loup the Lynx 
had found him that day when he tried to kill 
him. 

If you want to hear more of Buster’s life 
you can follow him in the book “Buster the 
Big Brown Bear’s Adventures.” 



BOBBY GRAY SQUIRREL 

Bobby's Introduction 


There are many squirrels living in the 
North Woods, but only one real Bobby 
Gray Squirrel, and if you saw him once you 
would never mistake him for any other. Bobby 
was a gay, rollicking happy-go-lucky fellow, 
who believed in enjoying himself today and 
letting the morrow take care of itself. He 
wasn’t exactly lazy, but he didn’t believe in 
doing work that wasn’t actually necessary, 
and sometimes, I’m afraid, he forgot to do 
what was really necessary. 

Bobby had many friends in the woods, and 
they all liked him and smiled at him, but 
there were some who thought his careless 
ways might get him in trouble some day. So 
instead of chattering pleasantly with him, they 
shook their heads and preached to him. 

^Why don’t you get busy these pleasant 
days, Bobby, and store up food for the 
winter?” Gray Back the Weasel asked re- 
provingly one bright, sunny day. 

The continuation of this interesting story will be found in 
BOBBY GRAY SQUIRREL 

Price 65 Cents Postpaid 

THE JOHN C. WINSTON COMPANY, Publishers 

517S. Wabash Ave. Winston Building 129 Spadina Ave. 

CHICAGO, ILL. PHILADELPHIA, PA. TORONTO, ONT. 


WHITE TAIL THE DEER 

STORY I 


y^^HiTE Tail’s First Lesson 

High among the timberland of the North 
Woods White Tail the Deer was born, and if 
you had stumbled upon his home in the thick- 
ets you would have been surprised by a noise 
like the rushing of the wind, and then by a 
very remarkable silence that could almost be 
felt. The first was made by Mother White 
Tail as she deserted her young and took to 
quick flight 

White Tail, crouching low down in the 
bushes, so still that he scarcely moved a hair, 
would hide his beautiful head in the branches 
and leaves like an obedient child. Left alone 
he knew that his one chance of escape was not 
to move or whimper or cry. 

That was the first lesson White Tail was 
taught by his mother — to keep absolutely 
quiet in the presence of danger. When he 
was so small that he could hardly hold up his 
head, she whispered to him: ‘‘Listen, White 
Tail! When I give the signal that the hunters 
are coming, you must flatten yourself down 

The continuation of this interesting story will be found in 
WHITE TAIL THE DEER 
Price 65 Gents Postpaid 

THE JOHN C. WINSTON COMPANY, Publishers 

517S. Wabash Avc. Winston Building 129 Spadina Ave. 

CHICAGO, ILL. PHILADELPHIA, PA. TORONTO, ONT. 


Bumper the White Rabbit 


STORY, I 

Where bumper came FROiif 

There was once an old woman who Had so 
many rabbits that she hardly knew what to do. 
They ate her out of house and home, and kept 
the cupboard so bare she often had to go to bed 
hungry. But none of the rabbits suffered this 
way. They all had their supper, and their break- 
fast, too, even if there wasn’t a crust left in the 
old woman’s cupboard. 

There were big rabbits and little rabbits; lean 
ones and fat ones; comical little youngsters who 
played pranks upon their elders, and staid, se- 
rious old ones who never laughed or smiled the 
livelong day; boy rabbits and girl rabbits, 
mother rabbits and father rabbits, and goodness 
knows how many aimts, uncles, nephews, nieces, 
cousins, second cousins and distant relatives-in- 
law I They all lived under one big roof in the 

The continuation of this interesting story will be found in 
BUMPER THE WHITE RABBIT 

Price 65 Gents Postpaid 

THE JOHN C. WINSTON COMPANY, Publishers 

517S. Wabash Ave. Winston Building 129 Spadina Ave. 

CHICAGO, ILL. PHILADELPHIA, PA. TORONTO, ONT. 


WHITE TAIL’S ADVENTURES 


STORY I 

White Tail Jumps Stepping Stone Brook 

White Tail grew rapidly in size and 
strength, his long, clean limbs showing taut 
muscles and great springing power; and his 
neck grew thick and short, which is well for a 
buck, who must use it in savage thrusts when 
the head is a battering ram. His horns were 
short and bony, but they protruded in front 
like knobs against which it would be unpleas- 
ant to fall. 

But his antlers were his pride. They spread 
out fan-shape on his head, crowning it with 
a glory that made Mother Deer supremely 
happy. At times it seemed as if the antlers 
were too heavy for the head and neck, but 
White Tail carried them easily, and when he 
shook them in sport or anger any one could 
see they were just fitted to him. 

In time he stood as high as Father Buck, 
and a head taller than Mother Deer. The 
day the tip of his antlers reached an inch above 
Father Buck’s, he felt a little thrill of pride. 

The continuation of this interesting story will be found in 
WHITE TAIL THE DEER’S ADVENTURES 

Price 65 Gents Postpaid 

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aaJCAGO,IU« PHIMI>ELPHIA,PA. TORONTO, ONT. 


BUMPER THE WHITE RABBIT 
AND HIS FOES 

STORY I 

Bumper Plans to Fight His Enemies 

Now in the reign of King Bumper and 
Queen Fuzzy Wuzz many things happened 
in the woods that made exciting times for the 
wild rabbits and their friends. They came to 
pass in the first year of their reign, for Bumper 
the white rabbit was not content to be idle 
when his people were surrounded by so many 
enemies that their lives were never safe. 

Some kings just eat and drink and make 
merry the live long day, and forget all about 
duty; but lots of such kings have lost their 
thrones, and others who have ruled wisely 
have been blessed with many friends, and 
when they died all the people mourned their 
loss. 

Bumper the white rabbit intended to be a 
good and wise ruler, and therefore he spent 
much time in trying to think of ways to help 
his wild cousins of the woods. The story of 
how he escaped from the garden owned by the 

The continuation of this interesting story will be found in 
BUMPER THE WHITE RABBIT AND HIS FOES 

Price 65 Cents Postpaid 

THE JOHN C. WINSTON COMPANY, Publishers 

517S. Wabash Ave. Winston Building I2q Spadina Ave. 

CHICAGO. ILL. PHILADELPHIA, PA, TORONTO, ONT. 


Bumper the White Rabbit 
In the Woods 


STORY I 

ItUMPER HUNTS WITH THE f^CK. 

Bumper the White Rabbit, when he escaped 
from Edith, the red-headed girl who owned the 
garden where he lived, found his way into the 
woods, and, after many adventures with the Bats, 
the Crow, the Fox and Buster the Bear, he was 
adopted by the wild rabbits as their leader and 
king. The Old Blind Rabbit welcomed him, and 
told the story of how it was prophesied that some 
day a pure white rabbit, with pink eyes, would 
come to deliver them from their enemies, and 
teach them how to live in the woods without fear; 
of danger. 

No one had been more surprised than Bumper 
at this sudden welcome. At first he was for tell- 
ing them he was no leader, and not fit to be theii^ 
king; but, as he was very lonely and without a 

The continuation of this interesting story will be found in 
BUMPER THE WHITE RABBIT IN THE WOODS 

Price 65 Gents Postpaid 

THE JOHN C. WINSTON COMPANY, Publishers 

5178. Wabash Ave. Winston Building 129 Spadina Ave. 

CHICAGO, ILL. PHILADELPHIA, PA. TORONTO, ONT. 





















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